The OED notes that the word comes from the Tungusian. Ironically, in a
discussion some years ago with Barbara Tedlock, she pointed out that the
gender of the word itself is female. Of course, we shouldn't assume that
the gender of a word maps to the gender of the individual to which it
refers, but it was still an interesting observation given the "shawoman"
neologism.
Dan Harms
Coordinator of Instruction Librarian
SUNY Cortland Memorial Library
P. O. Box 2000
Cortland, NY 13045
(607) 753-4042
-----Original Message-----
From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of nagasiva
yronwode
Sent: Friday, November 07, 2008 12:03 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Fake and Folk Etymology
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/
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*Yronwode Institution for the Preservation
and Popularization of Indigenous Ethnomagicology
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