I suggest reading Ronald Hutton's recent book on shamanism, or of cource Mircea Eliade's, the daddy of them all. And yes, it is a totally non-European word, and the last syllable is in no way related to 'man'. The correct pronunciation, I believe, is 'sha-maan', with the stres on the second syllable.
Jacqueline Simpson
--- On Fri, 7/11/08, nagasiva yronwode <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> From: nagasiva yronwode <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Fake and Folk Etymology
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Friday, 7 November, 2008, 5:03 AM
> hi Jez, kaligrafr,
>
> Jez:
> >> Be grateful. I've seen shawoman and shawomen
> as well.
>
> strange, especially if the aim is clarity of communication,
> authenticity of etymology, and faithfulness to resource.
>
> kaligrafr <[log in to unmask]>:
> > I'm probably not the only list member who finds
> this
> > sort of fake/folk etymologizing annoying.
>
> is that the same thing as what is called 'folk
> etymology'?
> it is generally an indicator of a non-reliable source, yes.
>
> > The general expectation about word use that I learned
> included
> > paying attention to the historical sources of the
> word. Borrowed
> > words did not--even ought not--to be put through the
> fake/folk
> > process, except in obvious humor.
>
> makes sense in academic contexts, yes.
>
> > For reasons of what I learned when, I consider
> "shaman" a term
> > borrowed from Turkic-Tungus, but whatever the source
> language,
> > I doubt that the "man" component had any
> semantic association
> > with the post-feminist English language
> "man."
> >
> > So it irks me to see this functional borrowed term put
> through,
> > out of some fear of offending whoever, whatever,
> sensibility,
> > this fake/folk etymolygizing grinder that turns
> appropriate
> > meaning into politically correct dog food.
> >
> > Anybody got good info on the source of the term
> "shaman'?
> >
> > Is doing this to a useful term cultural disrespect?
>
> it can be, yes. playing fast and loose with etymology when
> attempting to *represent* the people of the Tungus, or
> what is meant by people who use the term to mean some
> extensive global phenomenon of social role and personal
> development in religious service to the tribe, affiliation
> to the spirit realm, intercommunication with the world
> beyond, and psychomedicinal effect, seems irresponsible.
>
> constructing *art* that makes use of words in unusual,
> creative, and inventive ways, is a different matter,
> and may be humorous, pioneering, and even profound. this
> type of artistic expression is usually not the conduct
> expected within *academic* contexts and can be disruptive.
>
> nagasiva yronwode ([log in to unmask]), Director
> YIPPIE*! -- http://www.yronwode.org/
> -----------------------------------------------------
> *Yronwode Institution for the Preservation
> and Popularization of Indigenous Ethnomagicology
> -----------------------------------------------------
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