Suicide cancelled

[channonyarrow]

I kind of wish that some of my work-related search terms were more normal. I just spent an hour trying to figure out what the First Crusaders would have called the people they walked an ass of a long way to fight.

It turns out that the answer is most likely "Saracen", since "Mohammedan" didn't show up until 1681, and Mahometan is barely older at an origin of 1529. Mahum might be useful, but didn't show up (along with Mahomet) until 1205.

So, basically, I've just spent an hour trying to figure out how to insult people who've been dead one hell of a long time, all the name of "getting it right."


ETA: Let's add "cathedral architecture", "breeds of cattle", "medieval theatre" and "princeps/Godefroy de Bouillon" to the list of "things I know more about now."

Comments

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Wasn't it "Moors"?

[channonyarrow.livejournal.com]

That referred, as far as I can find, specifically to the Berber and North African Muslims, particularly in the Maghreb and in Spain and in the Mediterranean possibly as far north and east as Sicily, but not further and not in bilad al-Sham, the area of the Arab world that Palestine is part of. It also is a term that predates Islam specifically, being most likely derived from the Kingdom of Maure in Morocco.

I would actually love to have the company lay out for a copy of the Encyclopedia Britanica, but no such luck.

[graeae.livejournal.com]

Ummm... just for later reference, on military history questions like this, I got a whole bunch of geeks that I go to school with that could prolly get you the answer superquick. *grins* And cause it's history related, you can email me at work even!

[channonyarrow.livejournal.com]

I didn't even think of that as being military history, for some reason. I'll bear that in mind, though - this is the sort of thing I OFTEN wind up doing. *g*