Originally published at: Phoenicians respond to Election results | Boing Boing
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Maybe it’s just me, but this demonym was really confusing without context.
Not just you.
I also wondered why ancient civilizations would care…
Wait! So people from Phoenix are called Phoenicians? That’s the second-best name after Glasgow/Glaswegians!
Especially since it isn’t even spelled the way it sounds.
Real Phoenicians: “Hey we invented spelling!”
I bet those guys would have been really pissed off if they knew the Greeks would one day name their civilization with a word using the “ph” spelling.
You mean Φοινίκη, at the time pronounced with an actual /ph/ sound? I’m not sure we can pin the mistake on them…
Absolutely. Took me most of the article to associate “Phoenician” with “person from Phoenix.” I was very confused about why Phoenicians would have an opinion about an election far, far in their future!
My first thought was honestly that maybe there were still people there called Phoenicians that you just don’t hear much about, like Assyrians or Samaritans.
The Sea Peoples have been taking the blame for various collapses for way too long…
When in doubt just blame the ancient Greeks. Φuck those guys.
Thank you. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one.
I was unreasonably excited the day I learned that phi, chi and theta were originally just the aspirated versions of pi, kappa and tau.
I figured it was referring to characteristic traits of Phoenicians, not real Phoenicians, the same way that some modern day people are called Philistines.
ETA: The pic on the story of a person wearing purple dyed hair may have led me to that line of thought.
“… real estate mogul Katy Hobbs defeating former TV news anchor …”
See, they are real, normal people; just like you or me!
My experience of Scottsdale and the pictured experience of Scottsdale are very different.