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gulliver

(13,985 posts)
11. Arachnophobia, agoraphobia...
Sat Nov 8, 2025, 03:30 PM
Nov 2025

I'm old school in that sense. Using phobia as only "fear" gave it clarity, learnability, and communicative strength, and makes it much easier to talk and write, in my humble opinion

I personally avoid terms like "homophobia, " although I realize perfectly well that it's probably too late to quibble about that departure from the language structure that I grew up with (which would literally make the term mean something like fear of sameness). If I'm talking about someone who is anti-gay, I use "anti-gay." If they're afraid of gays, I might actually say something like "gay-phobic."

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When people have attempted to muddle the meaning of antisemitic sarisataka Nov 2025 #1
That definitely adds a forceful historic bite to it gulliver Nov 2025 #7
Can you give an example of who and what you would consider phobic JI7 Nov 2025 #2
Arachnophobia, agoraphobia... gulliver Nov 2025 #11
This message was self-deleted by its author PeaceWave Nov 2025 #12
It's definitely one pathway, fear to hate gulliver Nov 2025 #14
But how about when it comes to Jewish people JI7 Nov 2025 #17
This message was self-deleted by its author PeaceWave Nov 2025 #3
Phobia implies fear; anti- as a prefix mostly means against biophile Nov 2025 #4
This message was self-deleted by its author PeaceWave Nov 2025 #6
I agree but it depends on the audience gulliver Nov 2025 #9
Sounds reasonable, yes biophile Nov 2025 #22
The term "Semite" is basically inaccurate and effectively obsolete, so why isn't "Anti-Semitic" the same ? eppur_se_muova Nov 2025 #5
The racist definition of Semites was developed in the 1770s sarisataka Nov 2025 #10
That's the thinking behind removing the hyphen Mosby Nov 2025 #13
Here's my take: semite is race oriented, and jew relates to theology. RedWhiteBlueIsRacist Nov 2025 #8
I couldn't remember what its derivation was, if I ever knew muriel_volestrangler Nov 2025 #15
That take is incorrect sarisataka Nov 2025 #16
I see 'shem' as the remnant of a much longer phrase that has been shortened into one syllable. RedWhiteBlueIsRacist Nov 2025 #25
"Shem" means, roughly, "name", and can have the same implication of "reputation" as in English muriel_volestrangler Nov 2025 #26
Semitic is a language group Mosby Nov 2025 #20
Why? Behind the Aegis Nov 2025 #18
I'm largely in agreement gulliver Nov 2025 #21
Language as a weapon Behind the Aegis Nov 2025 #23
I see antisemitism as prejudice too. gulliver Nov 2025 #24
Those two expressions have very, very different meanings. MineralMan Nov 2025 #19
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Replacing "antisemitic" w...»Reply #11