Sabra BB

>From: Lachlan Atcliffe <u1m87@ugm.keele.ac.uk>
>>I hate to pitch in on this one, but an Israeli friend of mine also
notes
>>that "Sabra" is more normally connected with atrocities committed
during
>>the war in Lebenon. In his words, it would be like calling a USN
vessel
>>"Vietnam".
>>
>>If there are nicer connotations for the name, could some nice person
let
>>me know?
>
>More on this. While the events in Lebanon 22 years ago do have 
>Vietnam-like overtones, the term Sabra as 'native Israeli' predates 
>those events for decades - even to before the formation of Israel 
>(then used to denote native-born Palestinian Jew), and it is still 
>extensively used in that context. I suppose that the term is 
>tarnished for those who bear the scars of the past, but I don't 
>think the event has actually changed the contemporary meaning of the 
>word. I'm not and don't intend to sound callous about the events 
>themselves, but don't think they've had the effect on the language 
>at large that your friend says. It gives me pause is that he is a 
>native himself, but I've enough self-described Sabra relatives to 
>have doubts.
>
>I don't know if this is a good parallel, but the term "Yankee" had a 
>major negative connotation for the southern US for a long time, and 
>still does in some places and cases. That term of identification 
>pre-dated, and then survived the Civil War, and is not normally 
>connected with Union military behavior of that era.
>
>Noam

I'm happy to stay with the name - unless we get a real flood of 
negative responses of course!

Jon (GZG)

>
>Bizarre Lag Phenomena	     (Why it is sometimes hard to communicate 
>with Noam Raphael Izenberg)