If indeed Orientalist disciplines are to be understood by Europeans, the latter, rightly or wrongly, may also conceptualize the peoples of their studies from a Eurocentric perspective. Uttered today, those words may cause a great deal of hardship toward the peoples they describe, and discomfort to the people who would use those words. Khahil's paper raises many questions about the meaning of some words used to describe cultures and the effect of those terms on the culture. I feel that the meaning of terms is in the context that it is used. Some terms are meant to be derogatory, others expanatory and still, some words are used in a context that does not mean what the dictionary defines it as.
Words mean what history has make it to be understood as over the years.
Those words were a way to convey their experiences, good or bad, to others. True, over time such words began to be used in a negative connotation, but by those who were ignorant of the culture they referred to and were also unwilling to educate themselves of it. Or I could say the same thing and imply that it is just weird and strange. Terms come with stereotypes and it is important to be watchful of the context that it is used in. I think that one can be too critical of the usage of a term.