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> I think this refutes the idea that the metaphorical associations of the word “black” come from associations with race It would be far more accurate to say th
by tchaffee 6y ago
> I think this refutes the idea that the metaphorical associations of the word “black” come from associations with race
It would be far more accurate to say this refutes the idea that the original metaphorical associations of the word “black” come from associations with race. US history is full of stories where that original meaning was extended to black people themselves.
The metaphorical associations have been useful for over 200 years to a society that maintains systemic racism against black people.
- drdeca 6y agoI don't mean to suggest that the ideas did not interact at any point. But I think it would be incorrect to say that the metaphorical associations of "black" which are present in things like "blacklist" and such, "come from" things based on the idea of "race". To talk about what something "comes from" is to talk about its origins, what it originated from.
- tchaffee 6y agoThat's fair to consider. However, we should also consider usage over time and popularity and the origins of what made the usage so much more popular at specific points in history. The origins of a rarely used word are far less interesting than when that word all of a sudden became very popular a hundred years later. Or perhaps ten years from now, why the word so quickly faded from usage.