This argument did not turn up in 1965, apparently. Or at least it was anticipated. Israel Zangwill, writing in 1890 as Marshallik, discusses a proposed term for Jew-hatred, "Hebrew-phobia," as opposed to "anti-Semitism."
Interestingly, he notes that while the English say of a language or something they don't understand that "it's Greek to me," the French say "it's Hebrew to me."
Although "it's Greek to me" has its roots in the English language at least as early as Shakespeare, the purportedly French version, was also used in English, well into the 19th century.
In fact, here is a French work from 1728 which explains that the French expression "C'est du bas Breton pour moy" - "It is English to me" - is equivalent to the British expression "That's Hebrew to me."
Next we see an English translation of a French letter sent by the Prussian king - got it? - in 1742. As we can see, he employed the same idiom.
Finally, here is Wikipedia's list of "Greek to me" in various language (link). In Iceland they say it's all Spanish to them. I didn't know that either.
Seems the Wikipedia list mixes all kinds of meanings (lack of understanding, or even lack of linguistic understanding, then suspicion that something's foul etc.)
ReplyDeleteThe double edges sword. On the one hand, where else can you get such a list? On the other hand, "Seems the Wikipedia list mixes all kinds of meanings (lack of understanding, or even lack of linguistic understanding, then suspicion that something's foul etc.)"
ReplyDeleteOf course. (Now excuse my while I search Wikipedia for a list of international equivalents of "double-edged sword".)
DeleteInteresting that the Yiddish equivalent on wikipedia is "targum loshen"
ReplyDeleteA Google search for "bas Breton" indicates that this is actually an old Celtic language, related to Welsh, spoken in the western half of the French region of Brittany. It's not hard to imagine that most French speakers would regard it as gibberish.
ReplyDeleteS,
ReplyDeleteYour first line failed to mention deicide