Facebook Follies of Friends and Families

[garbon]

They specifically target a lot of things and a lot of people.  Should we also start recognizing Yazidiphobia, aid worker phobia, journalistphobia, subway rider phobia, ancient Roman ruin phobia, etc., etc., etc?

We should start by not using -phobia for hatred since phobia means fear.  Mis(o) or anti- work fine.

If only languages could grow and change over time.

[Duque de Bragança]

They specifically target a lot of things and a lot of people.  Should we also start recognizing Yazidiphobia, aid worker phobia, journalistphobia, subway rider phobia, ancient Roman ruin phobia, etc., etc., etc?

We should start by not using -phobia for hatred since phobia means fear.  Mis(o) or anti- work fine.

If only languages could grow and change over time.

If only semantic manipulation could not grow and change over time.

[grumbler]

They specifically target a lot of things and a lot of people.  Should we also start recognizing Yazidiphobia, aid worker phobia, journalistphobia, subway rider phobia, ancient Roman ruin phobia, etc., etc., etc?

We should start by not using -phobia for hatred since phobia means fear.  Mis(o) or anti- work fine.

If only languages could grow and change over time.

If only semantic manipulation could not grow and change over time.

The use of -phobia in a non-medical context (and your assertion that -phobia just means "fear of" is the medical definition, not the broader informal use) isn't new and isn't "semantic manipulation."  It's how languages work.  At least the "Christianophobia types" aren't trying to use Greek root words like the medical types do.

[Duque de Bragança]

They specifically target a lot of things and a lot of people.  Should we also start recognizing Yazidiphobia, aid worker phobia, journalistphobia, subway rider phobia, ancient Roman ruin phobia, etc., etc., etc?

We should start by not using -phobia for hatred since phobia means fear.  Mis(o) or anti- work fine.

If only languages could grow and change over time.

If only semantic manipulation could not grow and change over time.

The use of -phobia in a non-medical context (and your assertion that -phobia just means "fear of" is the medical definition, not the broader informal use) isn't new and isn't "semantic manipulation."  It's how languages work.  At least the "Christianophobia types" aren't trying to use Greek root words like the medical types do.

Using some psychiatry language to describe and diabolise opponents reminds too much of the distorted Soviet use over here, so let us get out of the " Cage aux phobes", shan't we? It's not like we use gynophobia instead of misogyny, unless precisely in a medical context, alleged evolution of the language or not.
You hit almost the nail on the head, with the remark about "Christianophobia types", it's indeed one of those manipulative uses. As for languages, maybe English had a headstart with the US Identity politics left crowd, but for other languages the manipulative use of phobia only appeared recently.

PS : irrational fear actually, before purists strike at me, cf. agoraphobia.

[garbon]

So this is just some phobia regarding how people use terms in English?

[The Minsky Moment]

You hit almost the nail on the head, with the remark about "Christianophobia types", it's indeed one of those manipulative uses. As for languages, maybe English had a headstart with the US Identity politics left crowd, but for other languages the manipulative use of phobia only appeared recently.

The use of "phobia" in English in this context, e.g. "Francophobia", "Anglophobia", "Russophobia," "Sinophobia", etc. is long and well-established and has nothing to do with the "US Identity politics left crowd."

[Duque de Bragança]

So this is just some phobia regarding how people use terms in English?

Phobia (Fear) ≠ Hate
Should be even easier than distinguishing the bubbly stuff you drink from champagne. 

[Duque de Bragança]

You hit almost the nail on the head, with the remark about "Christianophobia types", it's indeed one of those manipulative uses. As for languages, maybe English had a headstart with the US Identity politics left crowd, but for other languages the manipulative use of phobia only appeared recently.

The use of "phobia" in English in this context, e.g. "Francophobia", "Anglophobia", "Russophobia," "Sinophobia", etc. is long and well-established and has nothing to do with the "US Identity politics left crowd."

So the misuse has gained acceptance? Sad for English, but Garbon claimed this is how languages evolve, not just limiting it to English.
"Francophobia" (still hate the term) having some local champions on Languish.  (not you).
It's true that fear of foreigners turns more often into hate than the other so-called phobias, though hate of foreigners is not necessary linked to fear.

In French, ridiculous uses such as grossophobie (sic) only showed up recently.
Nothing to do with he US Identity Politics left? Unfortunately, they, and their copycats abroad love using phobia for whatever political purpose. Hence the Muray quote, sortir de la cage aux phobes, a pun with Cage aux Folles the Bird Cage.

[Valmy]

They specifically target a lot of things and a lot of people.  Should we also start recognizing Yazidiphobia, aid worker phobia, journalistphobia, subway rider phobia, ancient Roman ruin phobia, etc., etc., etc?

We should start by not using -phobia for hatred since phobia means fear.  Mis(o) or anti- work fine.

If only languages could grow and change over time.

Well I do think if you are going to use "phobia" the idea is there is an irrational reaction going on. So there is a phobic type reaction going on, or at least that is the implication and why "homophobia" was used for example.

I would rather we go that way then some kind of anti-intellectual take like the one you made. Languages and word use do matter and are worth discussing.

[The Minsky Moment]

It appears from some quick searches that this use of -phobia goes back at least to the 19th century. 

[PDH]

It appears from some quick searches that this use of -phobia goes back at least to the 19th century.

The left-wing rot goes deeper than we imagined!

[derspiess]

Indeed.

[Valmy]

It appears from some quick searches that this use of -phobia goes back at least to the 19th century. 

Xenophobia I presume?

[crazy canuck]

You hit almost the nail on the head, with the remark about "Christianophobia types", it's indeed one of those manipulative uses. As for languages, maybe English had a headstart with the US Identity politics left crowd, but for other languages the manipulative use of phobia only appeared recently.

The use of "phobia" in English in this context, e.g. "Francophobia", "Anglophobia", "Russophobia," "Sinophobia", etc. is long and well-established and has nothing to do with the "US Identity politics left crowd."

Sad for English, but Garbon claimed this is how languages evolve, not just limiting it to English.

But Garbon's claim is correct.  The meaning of words do change over time.  Sometimes they change so much that they come to mean the opposite of what they had previously meant.

Take the word "nice" as an example.  What is happening with the word phobia is far less extreme.  A phobia is ascribed to an irrational fear - which is apt.

[alfred russel]

It appears from some quick searches that this use of -phobia goes back at least to the 19th century.

The left-wing rot goes deeper than we imagined!

That was also the era of Marx and Engels. We may not be looking at generic left wing rot: this may be a genuine communist plot...

"The bourgeoisie, in truth, is bound to fear the stupidity of the masses so long as they remain conservative, and the insight of the masses as soon as they become revolutionary. Fear defines the outlook of the bourgeoisie to the masses, and as such the various prejudices of the bourgeoisie should be defined as phobias, for that is what they truly are." - Karl Marx

Dear god it is true...