Subject
Re: [SIGHTING] Detectives and NATASAHA: hottentot and a
correction.
correction.
From
Date
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James Studdard: Jansy, I misplaced your submission about "hottentot" and its extension in context with the little story you told. Please disabuse me of the understanding that Hottentot is an offensive term for a member of the Khoikhoi people and/or their language. The Khoikhois are a member of a formerly nomadic African people, now principally residing in Namibia with some in western South Africa, belonging to Khoisan and characterzed by the use of click consonants. Around 55,000. Possibly, VN, when suggesting in "Strong Opinions" that Dostoevski (whom I greatly admire)was a "claptrap journalist and slapdash comedian" he (VN) was simply being hottentottish [late 17th century, Dutch, probably] toward the great Russian writer.
JM: I had no idea that Hottentot might be applied as an offensive term ( late 17th century Dutch, probably, as you stated) either towards the Khoikhoi people and their language, or anywhere else. I understood it was part of the word-play which departed from similar sounding letters to agglutinate them in a single one, as intended by the person who invented the story about kangaroos and murderers. I'm sorry for having shown disrespect where there was none intended. Thank you for the correction.
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JM: I had no idea that Hottentot might be applied as an offensive term ( late 17th century Dutch, probably, as you stated) either towards the Khoikhoi people and their language, or anywhere else. I understood it was part of the word-play which departed from similar sounding letters to agglutinate them in a single one, as intended by the person who invented the story about kangaroos and murderers. I'm sorry for having shown disrespect where there was none intended. Thank you for the correction.
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/