When a tiny boy near the middle of a previous century I secretly hid with a
book with words in it. I was not able to puzzle the words, but I could look at
the pictures. Believing it to be a fun tale mothers told children in a far off
land, I studied the pictures to learn a lesson such mothers might have for
their children. (I was not allowed to look at books with pictures or magazines
or newspapers until I was in 1st grade, though I could look at pictures cut
from them, a cold-war thing.)
Dar Scott
My forthcoming work in five volumes, `The Neglect of Cheese in European
Literature,' is a work of such unprecedented and laborious detail that it is
doubtful whether I shall live to finish it. -- G. K. Chesterton
> On Jun 7, 2020, at 5:24 AM, Richmond via use-livecode
> <use-livecode@lists.runrev.com> wrote:
>
> Well put, good point.
>
> On 7.06.20 11:06, Richard Gaskin via use-livecode wrote:
>> Richmond wrote:
>> > If some of these types who go on endlessly about anything that might
>> > be vaguely construed as 'racist' were capable of slightly more subtle
>> > thought they might examine intentions: after all if we all judged
>> > people on what they looked like most of us would be out of a job and
>> > starving.
>>
>> There is also the problem of linguistic false cognates. Similar words from
>> different regions often have very different etymologies.
>>
>> While the stories of the old British Empire can be charming (I love the two
>> hard-bound volumes of Kipling my father gave me), the Indian tale is
>> unrelated to both the origins of the American word "sambo" and its
>> colloquial use.
>>
>> On this continent, much of our language is influenced by the Spanish who
>> were among the first Europeans to explore and settle most the Americas.
>>
>> From Wikipedia:
>>
>> The word "sambo" came into the English language from the Latin
>> American Spanish word zambo, the Spanish word in Latin America
>> for a person of mixed African and Native American descent.[3]
>> This in turn may have come from one of three African language
>> sources. Webster's Third International Dictionary holds that
>> it may have come from the Kongo word nzambu ("monkey") — the
>> z of (Latin American) Spanish being pronounced here like the
>> English s.
>>
>> Complicating matters further is the difference between etymology and popular
>> usage, as Ms Gay has reminded us with good humor over the years. :)
>>
>> English-speaking people in the US didn't use the word until after the
>> American Civil War, popularized mostly by the losing side of that conflict
>> as a derogatory term.
>>
>> Though the war was long ago, the legacy is evident. We needn't go any
>> further on that here in this programmer's list.
>>
>> It is indeed unfortunate that those who used the word most commonly in the
>> States have cast an unfortunate pallor on a tale from the other side of the
>> world, and that Samuel Battistone and Newell Bohnett found themselves in an
>> awkward spot with their restaurants well known for excellent pancake
>> breakfasts.
>>
>> Indeed, the Santa Barbara restaurant is still family-owned, and the current
>> manager Chad Stevens has expressed a hopeful note about the name change that
>> goes into effect this Friday:
>>
>> "With the changing world and circumstances, the name isn’t just about what
>> it means to us, but the meaning it holds for others. At this point, our
>> family has looked into our hearts and realize that we must be sensitive when
>> others whom we respect make a strong appeal. So today we stand in solidarity
>> with those seeking change and doing our part."
>>
>> Maybe best of all, the new temporary name they'll be using while the family
>> decides on a permanent one is: "☮&LOVE"
>>
>> https://www.noozhawk.com/article/bizhawk_sambos_santa_barbara_to_change_name_20200604
>>
>>
>> By any name, the restaurant at 216 W. Cabrillo Blvd in Santa Barbara is well
>> worth making a point of visiting whenever you're passing through that part
>> of California's coast. The pancakes are truly awesome.
>>
>>
>> This is quite off-topic, and I hope this momentary indulgence in etymology
>> and pancakes doesn't stray too close to cheese.
>>
>> Back to our regularly-scheduled LiveCode discussion, where I'll post a
>> question about the Browser widget next...
>>
>
>
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