This message  was originally submitted by  [log in to unmask] to the ATEG
list at
MIAMIU.ACS.MUOHIO.EDU.  in response to a message submitted by Michael
Medley
>>([log in to unmask] to ATEG)
>>
>>Wendell wrote:
>>
>>> Two points. First, what "macho" has come to mean in English is entirely
>>> different from what "macho" means in Spanish (especially mexican
>>> spanish)--and this suggestion that the word be translated in accordance
>with
>>> an English-language misinterpretation of it  (i.e., masculine" is
closer in
>>> meaning to "macho" than "male" is) is a terrific example of the
cultural
>and
>>> linguistic hegemony practiced by English-only speakers.
>>
>>     You made a big leap here, Wendell.  Why do you suppose that I am
>>a monolingual English-speaker?  And even if I were, it seems to me
>>that Alan was asking the opinions of native English-speakers to get
>>an idea of how we would interpret the particular wording that he
>>suggested.  What the meaning is of "macho" in Mexican Spanish has
>>little if any bearning on what it means to English speakers in the
>>United States (especially monolingual ones, which is all too
>>unfortunately the norm).   If Alan receives a variety of answers, he
>>might get a feel for what the tendencies in interpretation are.  He
>>might avoid a one-word translation and use a hypenated modifier of
>>some kind.    I think he is going about this task in the right way,
>>getting some sense of what people's linguistic senses are in real
>>situations of interpretations or production--not
>>relying on certain people's brash pontifications of what should
>>be the case.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>**********************************************************************
>>R. Michael Medley       VPH 211                Ph: (712) 737-7047
>>Assistant Professor     Northwestern College
>>Department of English   Orange City, IA  51041
>>**********************************************************************
>>
>>
>
What gave you the idea that Alan was only asking the opinions of "native
English-speakers"? It would seem to me that this suggestion supports
Wendell's observation about linguistic hegemony... Correct me if I'm wrong!
W. van Bork
 
 
 
W. van Bork
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