“Man abat?” lit. “Who’s your father?” seems to have been an Abyssinian catchphrase used as a facetious greeting, not unlike “What’s up?” or “What’s cooking?”Well, that’s it then. “Who’s your father?” is now my new standard greeting – or at least it will be, once I’ve gotten accustomed to saying it in a casual tone.
On a related note, I’ve wondered occasionally about the English words for children born out of wedlock. ‘Illegitimate’ is deemed the polite, politically correct substitute for the insulting ‘bastard.’ But considering the words’ origins, maybe it should be the other way around. ‘Illegimate,’ from the Latin, means ‘not legal’ or ‘not right’ or ‘not appropriate.’ On the other hand, ‘bastard’ apparently comes from the Old French for ‘packsaddle,’ a reference to travelers’ use of packsaddles as makeshift beds. So ‘illegitimate’ indicates a derogatory judgment, whereas ‘bastard’ merely describes a mode of conception. Doesn't it seem like the more descriptive, less judgmental term would be preferred?
2 comments:
I dunno Glen, "who's your daddy?" already has connotations that might confuse people.
Matt, you are so white. That's "who's yo' daddy?"
Post a Comment