Sunday, May 11, 2008

THEY ARE ALSO BAD ETYMOLOGISTS

I'm still listening to Right Talk Radio, this time channel 5 with John Steele. He just said that the word "imperialist" originated with American leftists in the 60s. Just so you know, the word is MUCH older than that.

This is from the Oxford English Dictionary:

3. An advocate of ‘imperialism’ in British or American politics.

1899 G. WYNDHAM in Daily News 23 Jan. 7/5 An Imperialist..is a man who does accept the fact that his country is a part, is, indeed, the head and heart of an Empire scattered the whole world over. 1899 Westm. Gaz. 26 Jan. 2/2 An Imperialist is one who..does not hesitate to do what is necessary to provide for the defence and development of the Empire. 1899 J. L. WALTON in Contemp. Rev. Mar. 306 The Imperialist feels a profound pride in the magnificent heritage of empire won by the courage and energies of his ancestry, and bequeathed to him subject to the burden of many sacred trusts. 1899 Nation (N.Y.) 27 Apr. 303/2 English setters-on of American Imperialists are just now loud in their cries that America must not ‘retreat’. They trust we have too much pride and resolution to turn tail in the Philippines. 1900 Congress. Rec. 11 Jan. 766/2 The trouble with these imperialists is that they confound the Government of the United States with their puny President.

5. attrib. or as adj. Adhering or pertaining to imperialism; imperialistic. Also Comb.

1868 FREEMAN Norm. Conq. II. vii. 79 The first of the series of German or other Imperialist prelates. 1879 GREEN Read. Eng. Hist. xx. 103 The imperialist theories of the lawyers of his father's court. 1898 Speaker 31 Dec. 770 The English people is neither Imperialist nor Jingo. 1899 J. PULITZER in Daily News 2 May 4/3 The new departure from our [U.S.] constitutional government which the present imperialist policy means. 1937 [see CAPITALIST]. 1957 C. HUNT Guide to Communist Jargon xxiv. 83 Lenin does not seem to have regarded the actual possession of an empire as essential to it [sc. imperialism], so that, according to his theory, the United States is an imperialist Power, as communist propaganda daily represents it.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Englander

what America needs is some "little Americaners"