On 11 Jun 2005 13:39:30 -0700, credoquaabsurdum
<credoquaabsurdum@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> Chris Croughton wrote:
>
>> 'Philandry' and 'philandrist' don't seem to exist, although the original
>> meaning of 'philanderer' was a "lover of men" (since it was Greek in
>> origin it was probably applied to men who loved men).
>
> In point of fact: "philos" = friend, "andros" = man. A philanderer was
> a friend of man.
Of 'man' (as in mankind) or of 'a man'? English would use
'philanthropist' for the former.
> Now, note the word "pederast" or the extraordinarily illiterate
> spelling, "paederast."
>
> "Paidi" child
> "Erastis" lover
Presumably related to 'eros'?
(British spelling is 'paedophilia' -- from the derivation, both should
presumably be 'paido'. I still think that 'pedophilia' should mean
foot-fetishists...)
> Nothing wrong with philandering. The phenomenon of pedophilia then as
> now was socially encouraged, but there was quite a bit wrong with
> screwing little kids.
Er, socially /encouraged/? I don't think it's encouraged in either the
US or UK, at least...
> Extraordinarily different culture, completely different rules, and as
> the spiritual children of the ancient Greeks we are, English speakers
> have adopted those terms with extraordinarily different connotations.
Indeed.
> The Greeks in Greece have absolutely no idea that Greece is considered
> the spritual birthplace of politically-correct homosexuality. Men
> loving men is far less acceptable here than elsewhere, and I've
> actually had to warn a foreign, openly gay couple having a conversation
> in the metro that a somewhat sinister group standing next to them in
> the car was discussing the best way to jump them.
Interesting. What about women loving women?
> There is, however, far less reported violence against gay men here than
> there is elsewhere, and I believe that there's less real violence as
> well. Transvestites line Syngrou Avenue in Athens in the wee hours and
> I have never gotten a whiff of anyone murdering one in my five years
> here. I live two blocks away from Syngrou.
People talk about it instead of actually doing the violence? That would
be a good attitude for the descendents of Plato...
> The same situation in a city of five million in the States, even in a
> place like San Francisco, would be a dream come true.
Anywhere, indeed, I doubt if London can match it...
Chris C
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