Talk:Gossip
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[edit] Etymology
Hi, I just removed a folk etymology that proposed that gossip was derived from "go sip", as in "go sip a beer at the tavern and come back and tell me what you've heard." Very cute story. And sure, folk or "popular etymology" has its place...If there's a completely unattested word out there that the dictionaries and etymological dictionaries can't give a good source for, well let's bring on the popular etymology. But gossip has a solid, reliable etymology.The Online Etymological Dictionary says "Gossip" is derived from the Old English "godsibb": O.E. godsibb "godparent," from God + sibb "relative" (see sibling). Extended in M.E. to "any familiar acquaintance" (1362), especially to woman friends invited to attend a birth, later to "anyone engaging in familiar or idle talk" (1566). Sense extended 1811 to "trifling talk, groundless rumor." The verb meaning "to talk idly about the affairs of others" is from 1627.Nazamo 19:17, 10 January 2007 (UTC)
- I agree that folk-etymology has its place. One such place available to us, Wikipedia, gives us the opportunity to contrast it with the better-attested etymology, to label it clearly as folk-etymology, and to note perhaps how the urban legend accords with the popular connotations attaching to the word "gossip". -- A Google search for +gossip +"go sip" gives a mere 2840 hits as of 2007-01-22. Let's put back the folk-etymology, clearly labelled as such, and thus help give the lie to the legend. -- Pedant17 00:44, 22 January 2007 (UTC)
[edit] F*** "Folk" Etymology
I have removed this because it is unsourced and unnecessary.
- I provided a sample source, and explained above the usefulness (though not the necessity) of including the folk-etymology. -- Pedant17
If a word has a well established "academic" (real/true) etymology why include one made up in a saloon bar.
- Because the made-up version, whatever its provenance, may lead to confusion and false belief if we do not note and refute it here. -- Pedant17 00:48, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
The usage based on this can be traced back to 1567, at least. At that time "politicians" in England had no need to carry out informal opinion polls. The electorate was very limited, and if they bought them beer it was to make it easier to tell them how to vote, or reward them for doing so.
- True. It all goes to re-inforce the silliness (or the chronoclastic nature) of the folk-etymology. -- Pedant17 00:48, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
There are other sites for debunking. Wikipedia is not the place.
- Wikipedia provides a very suitable place where one can expose and unmask false (but widespread) etymologies systematically and with well-sourced references. People believe this stuff. We can note their belief while countering it. -- Pedant17 00:48, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
If Wikipedia had to include everything that needed de-bunking it would swamp it.
- Did anyone suggest that Wikipedia need include everything needing debunking? -- Even if it did, I don't accept that such refutations would swamp Wikipedia. -- Pedant17 00:48, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
GBH 09:08, 17 February 2007 (UTC)
I am very surprised that there is no reference in this article to the punishment of gossips in early modern England and Colonial America. If gagging was not enough, gossips were fitted with a brank or gossip's bridle which covered the head and stopped the tongue from moving. http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/Spring03/branks.cfm rumjal 02:07, 3 June 2008 (UTC)
