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

This has puzzled me for a while now, well certainly as long as these words have been created and I've understood words, so I ask why the 'phobe' compared to 'anti' with different groups?

Islam - Islamophobe
Judaism - Anti Semite
Homosexuality - Homophobe

What is it with the 'phobe' thing? Surely the 'anti' prefix applies equally to all three groups.
I don't know anyone who is afraid of Muslims, or LGBT+ people, but I do know people who dislike them. I would call them anti Muslim, or anti LGBT+, it makes more sense, and creates equality with groups who society deems to deserve the prefix of 'anti'.

Anti Islam people don't fear the Muslim guy serving them in the corner shop, and anti LGBT+ guys don't fear the camp waiter at the restaurant. So why the 'phobe' bull#?

Personally I have no problem with the three groups any more than I have with people who play Backgammon or Bridge every Wednesday, just throwing this out there and genuinely wondering why people allegedly are anti Jews but apparently 'fear' Muslims and LGBT+ people.

I ponder the possibility that there are darker forces at work with the nomenclature in this subject, but having a serious thread kicked to the 'celebrity' People forum yesterday, I thought best to post in off-topic chit-chat as it contains the words homosexual, Muslim, and Judaism.

Phobic or phobia also relates to an aversion or extreme dislike for something other than just irrational fears.

But anti works just the same.


I thought your thread should have stayed in Social Issues, or if moved, sent to Middle East issues...
People forum was a ridiculous choice.

a reply to: CharlieSpeirs


'Anti' is more honest in my mind. It accurately expresses the emotion of the person.

*Edit*
Who the # actually fears someone solely because they follow the Islamic faith, or because they are not heterosexual?!
The nomenclature should be on the 'anti' lines, same as Jews and everyone else.

a reply to: grainofsand

I don't think judaphobe or isrealaphobe sounds right. The Bigots pick names that they think have a good 'ring to the ear'. Like 'libtard' or 'Obumba'. All of them make then sound personally horrible though.

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.

a reply to: grainofsand
One that I don't understand is "racist". I mean a bass player is sometimes called a bassist, a cello player is a cellist, a cult member is a cultist, someone who duels is a duelist; so shouldn't a racist be someone who races cars, horses, or dogs?

a reply to: grainofsand

Pardon my ignorance but I don't understand the unnecessarily big words in your thread title. Can you summarise in simple terms for me please?

Thanks in advance.

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Oh, I'm sorry, you are replying on a digital medium provided through internet access, I assumed foolishly that you have Google access.
...not my job to teach you new words fella, it's yours.

a reply to: grainofsand

I'm lazy, what else can I say?

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

No further comment required.
Perhaps address your issues of laziness before whining that an OP uses words you do not understand?

originally posted by: grainofsand
a reply to: Wide-Eyes

No further comment required.
Perhaps address your issues of laziness before whining that an OP uses words you do not understand?

Yeah man, sorry for derailing your thread.

a reply to: grainofsand

nomenclature

nə(ʊ)ˈmɛŋklətʃə,ˈnəʊmənˌkleɪtʃə/

noun

the devising or choosing of names for things, especially in a science or other discipline.

"the Linnean system of zoological nomenclature"

the body or system of names used in a particular specialist field.

plural noun: nomenclatures

"the students found it hard to decipher the nomenclature of chemical compounds"

formal

the term or terms applied to someone or something.

"‘customers’ was preferred to the original nomenclature ‘passengers’"

Still not sure I get it.

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.

Christians are the worst for this. If you are anti- Christian you are anti-Christ. Lol, that seems a bit extreme; the Anti-Christ! So you gonna burn in the Lake of Fire for all eternity if you are anti the Christian in any way. Wow, Christianity has the monopoly on anti-ness!

Better to be anti- gay or anti-Muslim than anti-Christ.

I am neither Islamophobic or anti-Islam. Language can be as slippery as a snake, just as George Orwell described. Language Politics, now that would make for a very interesting Degree course.

The world is going language crazy. Another great literary social prediction by Mr Orwell. I think we are definitely going to need to get some students writing PHDs about all this so we can begin to contain the lunacy and put it in intellectual "cubby holes".

originally posted by: reldra
a reply to: grainofsand

I don't think judaphobe or isrealaphobe sounds right. The Bigots pick names that they think have a good 'ring to the ear'. Like 'libtard' or 'Obumba'. All of them make then sound personally horrible though.

Yeah like ...

Redneck
Hick
Hillbilly
Trailer trash
RebuliKKKan
Gun Nuts
GOP nut jobs

BIGOTS do have their names for everyone that have a cute little ring to it . And I see your point , Southernphobe doesn't really roll of the tongue does it ?

a reply to: grainofsand

"Phobia" doesn't exactly mean "fear" of something. It covers fear, aversion, and extreme dislike. And, in many cases, it is fear.

An "Islamaphobe" is afraid of a cultural invasion and an encroachment on their own religious values. A "homophobe" is fearful of the "agenda" when the mere presence of a gay person is enough to classify it as "shoving it down my throat".

originally posted by: whenandwhere
BIGOTS do have their names for everyone that have a cute little ring to it . And I see your point , Southernphobe doesn't really roll of the tongue does it ?

If your argument is solely based on the ability to 'roll off the tongue' then are you saying you struggle with these:
Anti Muslim
Anti Gay

...where is the reason to exclusively insert the 'phobia' bit which means fear of for these two groups?

a reply to: Abysha

So why is it 'anti' semite and not semiteophobe, jewphobic or whatever?
Just hard to find a similar 'phobe' thing as some say? I don't buy that at all.

a reply to: grainofsand

Just a guess, but it could be something to do with the era in which the phrase was coined? Phobias began to be categorised in the 50's, and so the term may not have come into common speech until after that.

Possibly?

a reply to: beansidhe

Phobia came from a much older Greek word though φόβος (phóbos) or do you disagree?
I say 'phobe' has been hijacked since those halcyon days you speak of.
I ask the question 'why?' in this thread.

a reply to: grainofsand
Another problem I have with "homophobe" is that it does not mean "fear of homosexuals". The prefix "homo" simply means "the same", so "homophobe" has to mean "fear of the same".
The word they should be using is "homosexophobe"- even better, give the word all-Greek roots and make it "homoerotophobe".