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Anonymous
Anonymous asked in Society & CultureReligion & Spirituality · 1 decade ago

Why do the Jews call themselves "Jew-ish"?

Muslims don't call themselves "Muslim-ish." Christians don't call themselves "Christian-ish." Nor do mormons call themselves "Mormon-ish." So why do the Jews call themselves "Jew-ish?" Is it because they are not really semitic (arab) Jews originating from Palestine but Eastern European Khazar converts?

Update:

I'm asking because "Jew" is almost treated as a slur. What's wrong with it? What's wrong with saying "Jew artists" (as opposed to "Jewish artists")?

Update 2:

No they should call themselves "Jews." They are after all Jews....aren't they?

Update 3:

How is pointing out the obvious "racist?"

Update 4:

Endgame: HAHAHAHA!!!

23 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    This actually has to do with English semantics. A suffix (ending) is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word.

    Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs.

    the suffix -ish modifies the root-word clear changing its meaning to "clear, but not very clear".

    'Jew' can be treated as a pejorative depending on the context that it's used in. In your example you state: "Jew artists" but that is incorrect English grammar.

    A Jew refers to one person, and Jews refer to many people, so regardless, your statement tries to use a singular combined with a plural word (this is a no-no in the English language).

    Pejoratives, are phrases that imply disapproval or contempt. When used as an adjective, pejorative is synonymous with derogatory, derisive, dyslogistic, and contemptuous.

    When used as a noun, pejorative means "a belittling or disparaging word or expression". Pejorative expressions are not inherently dyslogisms but may also be used in a non-pejorative way; however, determining the intent of the speaker is problematic, as with any implied meaning.

    Sometimes a term may begin as a pejorative word and eventually be adopted in a non-pejorative sense.

    This happened with the terms Big Bang, Quaker, Yankee, Okie, Tory and Whig, Ham radio operator, Methodist, Shaker, Unitarian and Sooner or Republican, which were originally slang insults but came to be used as non-pejorative standard words. In historical linguistics, this phenomenon is known as melioration, or amelioration.

    Sometimes a term is still considered as a pejorative word by some but not by others. In other cases, some groups have attempted to "reclaim" formerly offensive words applied against them, with limited success.

    In this case, it's a social faux pas because of the pejorative uses of the term both historically and presently.

    As far as Jews all being "Eastern European": What about the Jews living in Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Persia etc.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizrahi_Jews

  • 1 decade ago

    The Kzahars thing has long since been disproven. However, that's what made people think you were being racist. Good guess on their part since a number of your quesitons are targeted at Jews with anti-Jewishism concepts. I really hope though you are learning things new to you & starting to have new ideas...I noticed at least one question where you did seem to be geniunely interested in us.

    Jew WAS used as an anti-Jewish slur in Europe for centuries. It's the noun, vs. adjective, & therefore stands out. So when someone uses "Jew' incorrectly instead of the adjective "jewish" it's the way the term was used as a slur. That's what's wrong with it.

    To unbunggle when I'm saying.,,, "Jew artists"

    1. Uses the wrong part of speech, a noun where an adjective belongs.

    2. Uses it in a way that was classically used to express distain & hate at Jews & degrade them. It was often used with "Jew boy". It was -not- used when -not- degrading, so if you use it that way, that's what it represents.

    Hope that helped.

    ===================

    "Endgame: HAHAHAHA!!!"

    What kind of communication is that?????

    You make a comment attacking Jews - think you didn't -- and now think you got the answers you wanted. HAHAHAHAHA on you. You've proved who you are on a deep level.

    So, did I guess right about what you think is so funny?

  • 1 decade ago

    For the same reason the Irish call themselves Irish, and the Scots call themselves Scottish and the descendants of the Angle Tribe call themselves English.

    It's the proper English Language suffix to denote an ethnicity.

    You are confusing the English grammar for a religion with the grammar for an ethnic identity.

    Also what suffix is used in English has nothing to do with the ethnic identity of the (undoubtedly Semitic.... look at the DNA) the Jewish People.

  • Anonymous
    4 years ago

    Ish Suffix

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  • 1 decade ago

    well, ignoring the inaccuracy about the Khazars (the khazaria website actually denies that Jews are khazarian based on DNA testing) the suffix "ish" isn't specifically by design fo the jews. In hebrew, we are yehudim. English constructs its genre labels independantly. Why are Islamists "muslim" and not Islamists. why aren't Buddhists Buddhaites? We call ourselves Jewish when we speak English becuse that's the word that the language has for us.

  • 5 years ago

    Suffix Ish

  • 7 years ago

    By the time of Jesus the word Edom or Edomite had been translated by Greek and Latin into Ioudaios and Iudaeus meaning a Judean or person living in Judea. The original King James version of the Bible, 1611, translated Idumaean-Judean into Iewes. It wasn't until the revised editions of the King James Bible, that the word Jew appeared. The word Jew does not mean Israel or Israelite! We must conclude therefore that the first "Jews" were Canaanite-Edomite-Hittite. It is certain, according to the Bible, that Jews are not Israel. jesusjew.htm

    http://www.biblebelievers.biz/jesusjew.htm

    JEREMIAH 3:8 God divorced Israel

    AMOS..7 AND 8..Israel is no more

    AMOS 9:8 I will not utterly destroy Jacob

    ROMANS 11:5 the Remnant of Jacob began the New Covenant church...

    EZEKIEL 47:22 those who sojourn with Israel...are equal heirs..and become a member of the tribe they sojourn with..ITS NOT ABOUT BLOOD AT ALL...IT ABOUT SPIRIT many have been deceived with Supremacists teachings..

    MICAH 5:2 AND MATTHEW 2:6...A GOVERNOR WILL COME OUT OF BETHLEHEM..AND HE WILL RULE MY PEOPLE ISRAEL

    EXODUS 4:22..ISRAEL IS MY SON..MY FIRST BORN..

  • 1 decade ago

    That the best you could come up with, that old drivel about the Khazars???

    *yawn*

    How terribly unoriginal.

    The word 'Jew' WAS officially defined as an insult for many decades. Even in the dictionary that was how it was defined.

    Today of course, it's fine to use the word. Except when people - such as yourself - USE it in a PEJORATIVE sense.

    You DO know what 'pejorative' means, right....?

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Amish

    British

    Danish

    Irish

    Scottish

    Spanish

    Swedish

    Finnish

    "Ish" is a Hebrew word meaning "man".

    Jewish means people of the tribe of Judah.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Actually, the word "Jew" cam from the adjective "Jewish" which cam from Judiasm. Their all just abbreviations.

    FYI, Mormons are not their own religions. They are Christians.

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