Wordsmith Talk |
About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | |||
Register Log In Wordsmith.org Forums General Topics Weekly Themes Ghetto
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
OP Malocchio writes: "The Venetian Jews were transferred to the area called the Ghetto from other scattered quarters of the city around 1500, because the city government sought to protect them from persecution (mainly by militant Franciscan monks) by consolidating their community and guarding it (with protective walls and a guarded gate). So the original purpose of the walls was not to enclose or isolate them, but to keep marauders out."
A direct analogy to the word "asylum", which also changed over time to the opposite usage, in "lunatic asylum".
Prisons are loosely based on the concept of the "cities of refuge" where manslaughterers could seek protection from vengeful family members (see Numbers 35:6ff, Deuteronomy 4:41ff and 19:1ff, Joshua 20:1ff).
Surely there is no shortage of words that have undegone sinister shifts of meaning? Ironic use is the first step to thorough subversion, and the process is unstoppable.
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted Ghetto Recumbentman 12/03/02 10:22 AM Re: Ghetto wwh 12/03/02 11:44 PM Re: Ghetto Buffalo Shrdlu 12/03/02 11:54 PM Re: Ghetto wwh 12/04/02 12:50 AM Re: Ghetto Buffalo Shrdlu 12/04/02 12:56 AM Re: Ghetto wwh 12/04/02 01:21 AM Re: Ghetto Faldage 12/04/02 02:06 AM Re: Ghetto wwh 12/04/02 02:17 AM Re: Ghetto malocchio 12/04/02 04:06 AM Re: Ghetto magimaria 12/04/02 05:24 AM Re: Ghetto emanuela 12/04/02 02:44 PM Re: Ghetto wwh 12/04/02 02:58 PM Re: Ghetto Recumbentman 12/10/02 10:36 AM
Moderated by Jackie
Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics Forums16Topics13,913Posts229,374Members9,182 Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now 0 members (), 198 guests, and 1 robot. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days) A C Bowden 26
Top Posters wwh 13,858Faldage 13,803Jackie 11,613wofahulicodoc 10,562tsuwm 10,542LukeJavan8 9,919Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210AnnaStrophic 6,511Wordwind 6,296of troy 5,400
Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith.org