🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3394a68b.786196@news.picknowl.com.au>,
brindley@cheerful.com (David Brindley) wrote:

>On Mon, 02 Jun 1997 16:47:47 GMT, stanr@melbpc.org.au (Stan Rosenthal)
>wrote:

>>Why a new dictionary.? This is an old word. My old dictionary says
>>that "civil" is from the Latin "civis - citizen" and means "1. Of or
>>belonging to citizens; of the nature of a citizen 1592; 2. Of or
>>pertaining to the community of citizens   " It goes on to describe 15
>>variations of the usage of "civil" - none of which refer to cities,
>>though I now notice that usage 3 of civil refers to civic (1713)

>>"Civic" - which is later (1656) in its first usage than "civil"
>>(1592), refers to cities in the Oxford definition

>>OK. By that definition of "civilised" - that it must relate to cities,
>>the aborigines were not civilised.

>>My reading of the interpretation then placed on that definition by
>>those so keenly supporting it - and don't tell me it is only in the
>>pursuit of accurate etymology - is that it is used to denigrate
>>aborigines and to justify the injustices perpetrated against them.
>>
>>Not acceptable in my view.

>Too bad. We must use the word "civilisation" as this was the word used
>by the senator. Otherwise, where does the discusion head?

By this definition of "civilation", meaning living in cities, (a definition
which I consider to be spurious at best - it's _not_ what most people mean),
how does Lightfoot rank Australian Aborigines as "the lowest colour of the
civilised spectrum"? According to the above definition, you're either in
or out. You either live in cities or you don't. Of course one must wonder
where this leaves those who live in the country...

Cheers,
Marty.
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Martin Gleeson       Webmeister  |  http://www.unimelb.edu.au/%7Egleeson/
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