Hacker News Reader

Comment by MeinBlutIstBlau | Hacker News Reader

I call the Russian special forces Spetznaz and the Brazilian yearly festival Car-ni-val. Or when I am happy when bad happens to other people, I have schadenfreude. Did you also know most of English is comprised of loan words from other languages too? Or are you offended too that words like etiquette are actually french?

So yes. I would use a word that the said culture would say themselves.

View on HN

Yeah, well that's fine and all. But you're also not exactly talking about the ancient Chinese practice of submitting to the Emperor either. There are no Chinese emperors, and kowtow is not a contemporary custom. So, no, you aren't doing what you are saying you are doing. You are using the word to have the meaning it has acquired in Europe and America.

So why is it that when we talk about Western relationships with China the word kowtow comes up so often? What does it add? Why does it suggest itself? Maybe wrestle with that for a while.

This isn't about you.

> What does it add? Why does it suggest itself?

What do you think it does? No idea where you're going with this.

> kowtow is not a contemporary custom

It's rare as a protocolary practice, but it's still part of the culture.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35553120

Would you please not perpetuate flamewars on HN? I understand how the same word can land differently with different people. To the extent that you're making a factual argument, it's fine to make the point.

Unfortunately you also started a flamewar with loaded language and since then have crossed into personal attack and blaming others for what is clearly a co-creation. It's definitely not easy to avoid mixing these things but if we're to have thoughtful discussion, we all need to try.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Reply on news.ycombinator.com