The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-08-02
THE VERB "TO JEW"
One of the Ward Marks of HistOry-lts
Use and its Place in Literature.

Richard Grant White in the Galaxy.
As TO the fact of its presence in standard
dictionaries Of the English language, "to
Jew" merely takes its place there with
other terms which are the word marks OF
history-footprints of hatred. OF prejudice,
of wrong of error, or of mere circumstance.
npdn the yielding surface of language.
Such, for instance, is ehouse. a word more
nearly synonymous with that in question
than any other in the language. Its orig
inallv Turkish word meaning an envoy.
1t has its English meaning from the mis-
conduct of Turkish envoy or chiaus sent
by the Grand Sultan to London in 1903,
since which time to Chouse tor to Turkish
envy a man out Of anything has meant to
cheat him out of it. But would it be per-
missible that because of a protest of col
Iege of Ottoman diplomatists against the
presence OF this verb in an English !iction
ary, an English photographer should sup
press it? Again think the question is an.
swered in the asking OF similar origin
are the words jesuitica7, which has no
equivalent, as it means something other
than crafty, intriguing, herod, as verd il
the sense of raving furiously; eaitit, mean,
ing originally only captive; and miscre
ant, which, meaning merely misheliever
has come to the vilest Specification, show
ing and recording in language the former
virulence of religious hatred It woult
seem, then, that there is no justification 70
the omission of the word in question from
any English dictionary pretending Il
thoroughness and trustworthiness, and a
surely also that there is none for the us
of the word by the present generation. Up
on one other kindred point l will repea
here a remark made in "Words and Thei
Uses" where this subject was considered
There is sensitiveness as TO the use of th
word Jew in a descriptive sense, whic
seems to me unreasonable. 1t is asked
Who ever thinks of mentioning that cul
prit is a Roman Catholic, a Presbyterian
or Methodist? Why, then, eay that
is Jew? Answer-Because when the wor
is thus used it merely defines the national
itv or race of the person to whom it is az
piled. We continually see it mentione
that prisoner is a Frenchman, an Irish
man, or a German. Just so, and only so,
is said that he is Jew. No referenc
e whatever is made to his religion, II
thought is taken of it. His race merel
: is indicated For the Jews are still pt
= culiar people, who in the words of one
the most distinguished of their family, bt
y not as their faith, "have outlived IL
Pharaohs" Hebrew would he the bette
J. word; for that, l believe. according
'- their usage, carries. with it no implicatio
e Of religious belief. But the Hebrews hay
l. been SO faithful and have so clung togethe
j. that to speak of them as men is to spea
of them as the people chosen by the Or
J. God to proclaim him to the world; al
, to touch the pride of the race is to offer
J. every member of it, from the highest
the humbest Let them sit as serene
~ Mordecia. They who have outlived t
% Pharaohs may outlive philology. Certai
10 ly they will live down prejudice al
II obloquy, of which this verb is eviden
10 rtproachful only to its users.