Appropriate terminology

[makemeatree]

No: HPFGUIDX 89540

Lizvega:
> I don't see any problem with the word 'muggle'. There had to be a 
> way for JKR to distinguish between 'wizards' and 'non magic folk'. 
> And, not to be argumentative, but isn't it a stretch trying to 
> correlate "that other inflammatory word with a double-g in the 
> middle. And that pejorative term for male homosexual that has a 
> double-g in the middle..." to a word that means, 
> essentially, 'unable to do magic? 
> 
> Are all words with double 'g's derrogatory? How about hugger? Is 
> that bad? Or jogger? 
> 
> Geoff:
> I'm not sure I would like to be called a boggart....
> 
> :-)

joi:

I've been thinking really hard about this. I'm a big language person 
(being a writing and literature major, as well as a slang geek), and 
I also have very strong liberal politics. At first, I thought, 'Oh, 
how silly! Muggle is just a word!' and I stood by that. It's a great 
point, from both sides, that double-g words are both bad and good. 
It's also interesting to think that Muggle may just be a word used to 
describe non-magic people, as well as a word that is used to rigidly 
define boundaries.

This discussion is secretly always on my mind, I think, because, 
today, while perusing /Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them/, I 
took a long look at DD's foreward. He uses 'Muggle' quite a few 
times. Capital M, and with little remorse. But I had been into this 
discussion for so long, I was actually quite offended. 

I've decided that it's something like the word 'coloured'. There was 
a time, from what I understand, when the word 'coloured' was an 
accepted term by both blacks and whites (stop me if I'm wrong, I 
wasn't alive then). Through the civil rights movement, that changed, 
and since then, a few different terms have been used, and 'coloured' 
has been permanantly stuck under the carpet. Technically, it's not 
bad. It's just a term used to distinguish between two races of 
people. However, if I started calling people that, I wouldn't look so 
polite because it's an old word that's associated with a different 
time.

I see 'Muggle' as a word like that. The group it represents has 
little say in what they're called, due to certain circumstances. But 
I feel like, if given the chance, we would change it, as part of a 
movement for better treatment and tolerance of non-magic people in 
the WW. I honestly don't mind Muggle, but I can see it as a term that 
is representative of a different time. 

Something else that I think about when addressing this discussion in 
my head is the reclaiming of certain words by the groups they are 
pinned on. For quite a few black people, the first double-g word is 
used as a greeting and a familiar name between even strangers. For 
quite a few gay men, the second double-g word is a jokey, almost 
loving sort of way to describe someone. Both of these are sometimes 
cases, of course, for those of you that are of either (or both) 
groups, and know what I'm talking about. Regardless, the argument is 
always that these groups can use these words because they are 
reclaiming them. Which, I feel, is wonderful. 

So, to make a long post even longer, I am reclaiming the word 
Muggle! :Þ What was once offensive to me, I shall now embrace with my 
whole, non-magic heart. But I also do not want to be called 
a 'boggart', thanks. :)

joi.