Why do we have different construction of nomenclature for different hatred or bigotry?

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: grainofsand

It's so people can dismiss critics of Islam or Homosexuality as having some sort of pathology or disease. There is no better way to evade arguing with someone than to make their criticism out to be a symptom of mental complications.

I agree.
Apologies for the late reply, I was waiting to see the supporting arguments for 'phobe' and so far I've seen nothing convincing.
Yours appears to me to be the most reasonable and rational explanation so far...unless someone else has something better to throw on the table of discussion?

a reply to: grainofsand

Admittedly I am standing on other people's shoulders here. The Hitchens brothers put it better.

a reply to: grainofsand

No, I agree enormously. To answer this, I (you) might have to look for the first usage of each word in print, to see if there is any sort of pattern forming in times of origin.
Or my theory could be crap, we could dismiss it as such immediately, and save ourselves a lot of bother.

So does anyone know a Muslim or gay hater who has a phobia about them then?
I don't know any myself, would be interested if anyone has some explanation why we have a phobia with gays and Muslims but an 'anti' sentiment for Jews?
It's ridiculous

a reply to: grainofsand
The only suggestion I can make is that the concept of "anti-semitism" is older, and therefore predates the fashion for labelling political attitudes as phobias, which began with "homophobe".
The latter may have been influenced by the awkwardness of pronouncing a vowel in front of the letter "h". That's why words beginning with "h" can quite legitimately be preceded by "an" instead of "a".

a reply to: DISRAELI

Excellent thoughts, but anti-gay is still more accurate than homophobic.
Why use misleading terms?

Right, first use of 'homophobia'.

Coined by George Weinberg, a psychologist, in the 1960s,[10] the term homophobia is a blend of (1) the word homosexual, itself a mix of neo-classical morphemes, and (2) phobia from the Greek φόβος, Phóbos, meaning "fear" or "morbid fear".[11][12][13] Weinberg is credited as the first person to have used the term in speech.[8]

The word homophobia first appeared in print in an article written for the May 23, 1969, edition of the American pornographic magazine Screw, in which the word was used to refer to heterosexual men's fear that others might think they are gay.[8]

wiki

Ok, 1960's for that one (after classification in '50's).

eta - Aha, the fear of being thought of as gay. Interesting.

a reply to: beansidhe

In a psychology reference of course, but as language the Greeks beat you to it.
Do Psychologists influence language now?
Wow.

Anti-semite:

The term anti-Semitism was coined in 1879 by the German agitator Wilhelm Marr to designate the anti-Jewish campaigns under way in central Europe at that time. Although the term now has wide currency, it is a misnomer, since it implies a discrimination against all Semites.

Britannica

Much earlier, and German origins... we're getting somewhere.

a reply to: grainofsand

Yes, absolutely. Other psych terms could be neurotic, hysterical etc in the sense we use them now.

Anti-muslim means you are against islam. No matter what color lipstick you use, there is no dressing up that pig. However, use a word like "islamophobe" then you soften the concept a little. Make it a little more palatable.

Instead of being hateful, you are a victim of a phobia.

I think its a nice, bright orange lipstick from this angle.....

a reply to: beansidhe

Do you not agree that 'anti Muslim' is all that is needed?
The 'phobe' thing? WTF is that all about, and why exactly would anyone have issue with "anti Islamic" being the key word for somebody who is against Muslims?
Do you prefer to label bigots as full of fear? I prefer to label them as full of hate...and anti Muslim, not with a phobia of Muslims.

Islamophobia:

Islamophobia (or anti-Muslim sentiment) is the prejudice against, hatred towards, or fear of the religion of Islam or Muslims. The term entered into common English usage in 1997 with the publication of a report by the Runnymede Trust condemning negative emotions such as fear, hatred, and dread directed at Islam or Muslims. While the term is now widely used, both the term itself and the underlying concept of Islamophobia have been heavily criticized.

wiki

1997 there. So I think xxxphobia comes from 60's onwards, anti-something from before? Can you think of an anti-xxxx from the post 60's?

a reply to: grainofsand

I think the phobe thing may have come from a bastardisation of homophobic, which originally meant a fear of being thought of as gay, so fear was correct.
It then came to mean fear/hatred of gay people themselves and so became to be used in that way as a suffix.

I think it's just being misused but has come to be accepted as the right word, just like 'awful' has been. Personally, I prefer anti- xxx, because it's more honest. You stand against something as opposed to fearing/dreading it.

Do you prefer to label bigots as fearsome or full of hate?

Let me mull over my preferred label for bigots.

a reply to: beansidhe

Okay, as an invented word.
The 'phobe' bit was stolen from the Greek word, doesn't make it any more valid.
Why do you support the use of Islamophobe over Anti Muslim?
Why replace the 'anti' with 'phobe' indicating fear in the word? The Jews just go with 'Anti', surely 'anti Muslim' is not too many syllables to have to come out with when one says it?

a reply to: grainofsand

I prefer anti xxx as a word. Islamophobic would be an irrational fear of Islam, anti-muslim would be against someone who practices Islam. So anti-Islamic would be the alternative, and you do hear that quite a lot. BBC is fond of that term.

a reply to: beansidhe

Do you disagree that anti is more truthful and appropriate than phobe?

*Edit*
Don't waste your time lol, you pretty much answered my question.

a reply to: grainofsand

At least twice.

a reply to: beansidhe

I prefer anti xxx as a word. Islamophobic would be an irrational fear of Islam, anti-muslim would be against someone who practices Islam. So anti-Islamic would be the alternative, and you do hear that quite a lot. BBC is fond of that term.

Anti-Islam is someone who is against Islam the religion. Anti-Muslim would be someone against someone who practices Islam. I think there is a huge difference. I am anti-Islam myself on philosophical and moral grounds, as I am with all religions, but I hold no ill-will towards individuals no matter what religions they practice. One can be against a religion without being against its adherents.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

That is exactly what I just said, is it not!

I'm anti-Christ(ianity) eeek, but not anti-Christian. A shared understanding of definitions are crucial, no?