Why does Chrome correct “antisemitic” to “anti-Semitic”?

3 points by vba616 ↗ HN
Slight changes in spelling or grammar can have political implications, and to some people, spelling the term as "anti-Semitic" is analogous to, say, referring to the "Democrat party" or using "Jew" as an adjective.

I don't really want to trigger an unproductive debate on which spelling is correct because I know all the points and counterpoints. Or, I mean, I did know and probably have forgotten some but it's tiresome anyway.

I'm more wondering if Google has taken a side, or something slipped through, or if anyone besides me has noticed and made it an issue.

ChatGPT, by the way, ties itself in knots if you ask it questions about the origin of the term.

"The term "Semitic" has a long history as a linguistic and cultural term, and has always been used to refer to the group of languages spoken in the Middle East and North Africa, including Hebrew and Arabic. However, the word "antisemitic" was first used in the late 19th century to describe attitudes or actions that were hostile or discriminatory toward Jews. This word was formed by combining the Greek "anti," meaning "against," with the English word "Semitic," which was used at the time to refer specifically to the Jewish people and their culture.

In this context, the term "Semitic" was being used as part of a descriptive phrase to refer specifically to the Jewish people and their culture, rather than to the group of languages spoken in the Middle East and North Africa. The use of the term "antisemitic" to describe prejudice or hostility toward Jews did not involve the adoption of a new meaning for the term "Semitic," but rather the use of this term as part of a descriptive phrase for a specific type of discrimination or animosity."

3 comments

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What does it do with antidepressants, antebellum (ah haaaa!) and antitank?
Well the word was invented in the 18/1900s, along with "judeo-Christian"

Google N-Gram Viewer is fascinating for looking up how widely published certain topics/words were and when