Entomological Society of America Drops “Gypsy” from Moth and Ant Names

1. Porter Lansing

   Along this trail, in the food world, lime leaves from Thailand are becoming very popular in Thail cuisine and other cuisines.

   The have an offensive name used in Arabic meaning non-believer or infidel. It is a highly offensive, even legally actionable, racial slur in South Africa.

   We now call them by their Thai name, makrut lime leaves.

   https://modernfarmer.com/2014/07/getting-rid-k-word/

   2021-07-17
2. Nix

   Sorry Cory,
   The 2 aforementioned individuals , our Governor and the entire SDGOP belong in the rat family.

   2021-07-18
3. David Newquist

   The entomologists sure aren’t etymologists. Neither are those who decided that Gypsy is a disparaging word. Will all the performers who covered this song have to recut it?
   If I am fancy free
   And love to wander
   It’s just the Gypsy in my soul

   There’s something calling me
   From way out yonder
   It’s just the Gypsy in my soul

   I’ve got to give vent to my emotions
   I’m only content havin’ my way

   There is no other life
   Of which I’m fonder
   It’s just the Gypsy in my soul

   2021-07-18
4. bearcreekbat

   Here is an interesting comment from one of “those who decided that Gypsy is a disparaging word.” I apologize for the length of the quotation, but it seemed appropriate to share her full thoughts on the matter.

   “. . . Romani, which is gypsy but please don’t call us that because it’s a slur.” I’ve learned that Americans are familiar with the word “gypsy,” using it to describe a vagabond, free-spirited lifestyle, and have a faint idea of us as mythical creatures, but are ignorant to the plight of actual Romani people.

   So, who are Romani? More importantly, why do we need to remove the word gypsy from our vocabulary?

   Simply put, Romani are the largest ethnic minority in Europe, . . . Romani have a history of persecution in Europe; it is estimated by Roma historians that over 70 to 80 percent of the Romani population was murdered in the Holocaust, a fact that is little known or recognized. Even lesser known, Romani experienced chattel slavery in Romania for over 500 years ending in 1860.

   Although it is rarely talked about, the situation for Romani has not improved much; we are still victims of hate crimes, receive inadequate health care and housing, experience segregated education, and die in prison. While policies in the US systematically discriminate in covert ways, many of the policies against Romani in Europe are overt, which is apparent through opinions from political officials. In 2013, Zsolt Bayer, co-founder of the Fidesz Party in Hungary, said, “A significant part of the Roma are unfit for coexistence. They are not fit to live among people. These Roma are animals, and they behave like animals. When they meet with resistance, they commit murder. They are incapable of human communication. Inarticulate sounds pour out of their bestial skulls. At the same time, these Gypsies understand how to exploit the ‘achievements’ of the idiotic Western world. But one must retaliate rather than tolerate. These animals shouldn’t be allowed to exist. In no way. That needs to be solved — immediately and regardless of the method.”

   These ideas are not reduced to words; according to a study by the National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups and Anglia Ruskin University, 9 out of 10 Roma children have suffered racial abuse in the UK. In Hungary, 60 percent of Romani live in secluded rural areas, segregated neighborhoods, and settlements. The fact that 90 percent of Romani in Europe live below the poverty line is an even more extreme illustration of current living conditions for Romani.

   We cannot have a conversation about the use of “gypsy” without mentioning what it specifically means to be Romani and a woman facing racism, classism and sexism, excluded from traditional feminist and Romani activist movements. Romani women experience particularly disparate treatment in the areas of education, reproductive health care, and in the labor market. Only 1.6 percent of Romani women attend college in Romania, while 90 percent of Romani women are unemployed in Hungary. Romani women in Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic were victims of forced sterilization, a practice that ended less than 10 years ago. Romani infant mortality remains an issue; it is double the national average in the Czech Republic. These policies that impact actual lives of Romani women are upheld by cultural attitudes, some of which people don’t notice they are perpetuating.

   “Her complexion was dark … She danced, whirled, turned around … Her large, black eyes flashed lightning … With her smooth bodice of gold, her colorful dress that swelled with the rapidity of her motions, with her bare shoulders, her finely turned legs that her skirt now and then revealed, her black hair, her flaming eyes, she was a supernatural creature…’In truth,’ thought Gringoire, ‘she is a magical creature, a nymph, a goddess, a bacchanae of Mount Menelaeus!’ At that moment one of the magical creature’s tresses came loose, and a piece of yellow brass that had been fastened to it fell to the ground. ‘But no,’ he said, ‘she is a gypsy!’ The illusion was shattered.”—Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame

   The media offers two stereotypes of Romani women: the beggar, who is dirty and exploiting social welfare, and a hypersexualized magical being who threatens the patriarchy. So, while the use of the word “gypsy” seems innocent, it is dangerous to Romani women. It conjures up a romanticized image of poverty and sexualization, which doesn’t acknowledge that there is nothing romantic about being a victim of institutionalized racism. There is nothing romantic about the link between perceived uncontrollable sexuality and forced sterilization. There is nothing romantic about being a victim of domestic violence but afraid to speak out because law enforcement won’t believe you or it will further oppress your community. There is nothing romantic about lacking political power and representation, and being left out of both anti-racist and feminist politics.

   However, that doesn’t stop the rampant consumerism and pop culture references associated with “gypsy.” Just to name a few examples: The Gypsy Shrine, Gypsy Warrior, Shakira’s song “Gypsy,” Fleetwood Mac’s song “Gypsy,” Cher’s song “Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves,” and the latest, Netflix’s original series Gypsy. There are over 2,000 “gypsy” costumes on Amazon and over 250,000 “gypsy” items for sale on Etsy. When folks unknowingly or knowingly profit off of the word “gypsy,” claim they have a “gypsy soul,” or use “gypsy aesthetic” for a day at Coachella, they are reinforcing racist stereotypes of Romani women and dehumanizing us. People in the US must recognize the link between the language we use and how cultural depictions inform public policy for marginalized groups. Beyond language and the word gypsy, this is about how gypsies are struggling for liberation, and how Romani women suffer while gadje (non-Romani) profit off of our likeness. So before you put on that coin skirt and scarf, or proclaim your “free-spirited gypsy-ness,” remember that we already exist and will be always be gypsies and Romani.

   https://now.org/blog/the-g-word-isnt-for-you-how-gypsy-erases-romani-women/

   An “etymologist” might argue “gypsy” is not a “disparaging word,” but it still seems worthwhile to listen to why a Romani woman argues otherwise based on the actual life experience of the Romani people. And the point that “People in the US must recognize the link between the language we use and how cultural depictions inform public policy for marginalized groups” seems a valid consideration in deciding whether to blithely use particular labels based on heritage.

   2021-07-18
5. grudznick

   Damned bugs.

   2021-07-18
6. mike from iowa

   You missed one of the most obvious songs about Gypsies, bcb. Brian hyland and “Gypsy Woman” from 1970.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StC5lwA2snM

   She certainly enchanted him with her looks and charm. Bob Seger mentioned a Gypsy moon in the song “Someday Lady You’ll Accompany Me.”

   2021-07-18
7. grudznick

   In Iowa, where most are not as woke as grudznick is, they actually kill Gypsy Moths in mass slaughtering exercises.

   2021-07-18
8. Bob Newland

   I would celebrate a grudznick slaughtering exercise.

   2021-07-18
9. grudznick

   I can only hope you would wear your best hat, Bob, and perhaps do that little jig that you do.

   2021-07-18
10. David Newquist

    If people object to being called the word Gypsy, most people will give them the courtesy of not calling them that. But the word Gypsy did not originate as a slur, as did spick, wop, nigger, etc. It originated as a misunderstanding of geographical origin, and eventually became an ethnic identification which the people themselves accepted, as reflected in the fact that they used the term in the names of their organizations such as the National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups mentioned above. That misidentification is reflected in other words that they are known by, such as Gitanos and Zigueners. And some Roma people object to being called those terms. In fact, some object to being called Roma.

    To object to the term because it resonates with a history of persecution also applies to the term Roma. Those who reject the term Roma do so because it dismisses the tragic history of the people and the courageous persistence of their survival. It also dismisses the creative contributions of their culture. Fine restaurants throughout the world borrow the name Gitano, although it is considered a slur in parts of Europe. Their contribution through Flamenco music and dance imparts an image of intensely free spirits with which they are identified. But some find that stereotypical.

    When all the objections are registered, we end up with a people with no name. No identity. No existence.

    The grammar police have taken up the word Gypsy in their lexicon of verbal crimes. If you deny the word, in this case you deny a people and their culture. That’s why some “prefer it as long as it’s used correctly and respectfully, and some… choose to reclaim Gypsy as an act of linguistic and identity empowerment.”

    https://www.thedailymeal.com/how-eat-real-gypsy

    2021-07-18
11. bearcreekbat

    A little bit of context from the quote David referenced in the interesting article he linked:

    . . . Gypsy has also been used as a racial slur, especially in the lowercase “gypsy,” and antigypsyist language is normalized in so many languages that it’s become idiomatic (e.g., “That shopkeeper gypped me!”). Between this and trendy Gypsy appropriation, some Roma reject the word altogether, while others, like Filip Borev prefer it as long as it’s used correctly and respectfully, and some, like myself, choose to reclaim Gypsy as an act of linguistic and identity empowerment. In short, if you aren’t Romani, it’s safer and use Roma and Romani instead of Gypsy (and definitely don’t say “gyp”), or ask just the Romani person you’re speaking with what s/he prefers. If you are Romani, you’re free to reclaim or shun the word Gypsy as you see fit. Travellers, also known as “Tinkers,” are not ethnically related to Roma. They are of Irish origin and have their own culture and language, but they are also traditionally nomadic and historically and presently suffer the same stigma and oppression that Roma suffer. Common racial slurs used against Travellers are “Gypsy,” “Pikey,” and “Knacker,” so those are more words to avoid. (italics added)

    It is certainly true that not every member of a group considers particular labels to be slurs, and that within the group some members may think it entirely appropriate to use terms like gypsy, spick, wop, nigger, etc, as terms of endearment. Still, it doesn’t seem quite fair to label someone the “grammer police” (after all no one is arrested, fined or jailed for using the term gypsy as a slur) simply because they stop using, or discourage using, such terms when the label can result in demeaning individuals, intentionally or not, or the label constitues a reminder to those so labeled of their relative positions in a social caste system, such as is currently being reinstituted by people in power in some areas of the US (e.g., telling children in need to “call me when you are an American.”). For more on this topic check out the new book “Caste” by Isabel Wilkerson.

    2021-07-19
12. mike from iowa

    Little River Band “Night Owls”

    What will become of the restless kind
    Where do they go when they’ve done their time
    Wearing their hearts out on the line for all to see
    Must be the gypsy in their soul
    They have a need to rock and roll
    They always will, they’re out there still
    They’re the night owls

    2021-07-19
13. Porter Lansing

    BCB … About a fourth into reading your post I thought, “That’s what “Caste” conveyed.

    Thanks

    2021-07-19
14. Arlo Blundt

    Well..I remember when I was very young, not in school yet, and the “Gypsies” came to town. People were excited to see them and they came down a gravel county road near our house and we went down to the corner to wave to them. My Mom was a little disappointed in that they did not have a wagon and horses but came in an ancient truck and an old battered car. My grandmother said, “Get the knives and scissors together” and she and my Mom set a time to see the “Gypsies”. The kids were warned to “Leave them alone”. This group or family had been coming through, as I recall, about every two years. They stayed in the town tourist camp and people brought knives and scissors to them for sharpening. My brother said they also sold rings and other jewelry.My cousin said they stole babies, but my Dad reassured me that they traveled from place to place in South Dakota in the summer. He said,”They are Canadian Gypsies”. They left town after a day or two…all the dull knives had been sharpened I guess. Its the only time in my life I ever have encountered the Roma. I wish them well.

    2021-07-19

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