| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Offensive language Thread poster: Tom in London
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:44
Member (2008)
Italian to English
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powwow
Use of the word powwow to refer generally to a social get-together or to a meeting for discussion is considered to be an offensive appropriation of a term of great cultural importance to Indigenous Americans.
| | | | Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 01:44
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Tom in London wrote:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powwow
"Use of the word powwow to refer generally to a social get-together or to a meeting for discussion is considered to be an offensive appropriation of a term of great cultural importance to Indigenous Americans."
This is just the dictionary author's opinion. Merriman-Webster is the only major dictionary used in the US to have such an opinion.
The American Heritage Dictionary, the second most used dictionary in the US, says:
pow·wow (noun)
1a. A council or meeting of Native Americans, sometimes with people from other communities.
1b. [informal] A conference or gathering, as of business people.
2a. A Native American shaman.
2b. A ceremony conducted by a shaman, as in the performance of healing or hunting rituals.
...and the only usage comment that they give is "Today, when speaking in English, some Native American communities themselves use the word powwow to refer to meetings or gatherings held according to the traditional ways of their people."
Longman is also used quite a lot in the US. It says simply:
powwow (noun) [countable]
1. a meeting or discussion -- used humorously
2. a meeting or council of Native Americans
Finally, the New Oxford American Dictionary says:
powwow (noun)
1. a North American Indian ceremony involving feasting, singing, and dancing.
2. a conference or meeting for discussion, especially among friends or colleagues.
And across the pond...
Oxford says:
powwow (noun)
1. a meeting of Native Americans for making decisions or for having spiritual ceremonies or celebrations
2. [usually humorous] a meeting in which something important is discussed
and Collins says:
powwow (noun)
in American English
1. [among Native Americans] a ceremony, esp. one accompanied by magic, feasting, and dancing, performed for the cure of disease, success in a hunt, etc
2. a council or conference of or with Native Americans
3. [among Native Americans] a priest or shaman
4. [informal] any conference or meeting
powwow (noun)
in British English
1. a talk, conference, or meeting
2. a magical ceremony of certain Native Americans, usually accompanied by feasting and dancing
3. [among certain Native Americans] a medicine man
4. a meeting of or negotiation with Native Americans
[Edited at 2021-11-25 13:51 GMT]
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I've always considered powwow a silly, childish, unprofessional-sounding name to use, but offensive? I don't see how.
Only in the way calling something a Bible or a Mecca might upset a few zealots looking for trouble.
Too many people are looking to be offended these days rather than being tolerant. Makes me sound so old.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:44
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
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Kay Denney
France
Local time: 01:44
French to English
Ice Scream wrote:
Too many people are looking to be offended these days rather than being tolerant. Makes me sound so old.
I'm no spring chicken Chris and I do agree that some people are just out to get offended. Comedian Bill Maher recently said anything he wants to say on Twitter, he just can't say on Twitter, and gave the example of the simplest of tweets: "Good morning" to which followers react with "of course it must seem like a good morning for a privileged white male".
There have been some hilarious cases of people being accused of cultural appropriation, when the culturally appropriated have in fact enjoyed others embracing their culture. My in-laws were all delighted that I wore a traditional outfit from their part of the world to my brother-in-laws wedding. Hell, it was my mother-in-law who gave me the outfit!
Referring specifically to Native Americans, I believe they were the first to take offence in cases of cultural appropriation, seeing whites dress up as Sitting Bull, wearing all those feathers when it's obvious they haven't earned a single one.
I'm pretty sure I'd be mad as hell about the white invasion of my homeland if I were a Native American, and I think they are the ones who should rule whether or not it is offensive for (mainly) white people to call their gathering a pow-wow. Otherwise, "if in doubt leave it out".
I personally love the word pow-wow, but I don't think my opinion of the sound of the word should count for anything.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:44
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER | Joakim Braun
Sweden
Local time: 01:44
German to Swedish
+ ...
Tom in London wrote:
It belongs to the world of corporate speak (...)
Like it or not "powwow" can't be used in a corporate setting today and certainly never by a translator delivering a corporate text.
I don't particularly agree with this "proscribed word lists" trend, but it's here. Using "powwow" in an annual report, communication or tweet (or even internally) is inviting trouble. If not today, then in six months.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:44
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
Joakim Braun wrote:
Tom in London wrote:
It belongs to the world of corporate speak (...)
Like it or not "powwow" can't be used in a corporate setting today and certainly never by a translator delivering a corporate text.
I don't particularly agree with this "proscribed word lists" trend, but it's here. Using "powwow" in an annual report, communication or tweet (or even internally) is inviting trouble. If not today, then in six months.
I'm dismayed that Proz.com are still using it. Very backward. Presumably they don't know any Native Americans - which in a place like Syracuse, in upstate New York, I find puzzling. The whites can't have killed them all (Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, Oneida, and Mohawk).
https://www.onondaganation.org/culture/
[Edited at 2021-11-25 17:02 GMT]
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texjax DDS PhD
Local time: 19:44
Member (2006)
English to Italian
+ ...
[Edited at 2021-11-26 00:03 GMT]
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:44
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER | Saw your post before you deleted it | Nov 26, 2021 |
texjax DDS PhD wrote:
[Edited at 2021-11-26 00:03 GMT]
And I appreciated it.
| | | | Mr. Satan (X)
English to Indonesian
Ice Scream wrote:
Too many people are looking to be offended these days rather than being tolerant. Makes me sound so old.
Tell me about it. Not too long ago, some groups of people protested over the usage of the term "Blind Let's Play". They argued that it's disrespectful towards those with such condition. But the people with visual impairment themselves never had any issue with that term to begin with.
Some people just like to sow chaos, it seems.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:44
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
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Mr. Satan (X)
English to Indonesian
| How cute of you | Nov 29, 2021 |
You forgot to mention about anti-Chinese sentiments, Thomas. 
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:44
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER | No - I didn't forget | Nov 29, 2021 |
Novian Cahyadi wrote:
You forgot to mention about anti-Chinese sentiments, Thomas.
No - I didn't forget. I had no intention of mentioning them.
| | | | | Contact the Chief | Nov 29, 2021 |
Looks like your complaint has fallen on deaf ears, Tom. I don’t think the forums are of any interest to ProZ any more. It’s all about the Facebook group (which I wasn’t allowed to join, being such a subversive).
So perhaps you need to get in touch with the Chief directly rather than waiting around for the Indians.
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