FW: Origin of term "Holocaust"
Salvatore_B (Salvatore_B@BLS.GOV)
Fri, 30 May 1997 12:11:34 -0400
actually, if i remember correctly, the usual Hebrew word for the
Nazis' attempted extermination of the Jews is (transliterated)
"Shoah", but i don't know what it means.
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From: Adrian Smith[SMTP:LIB6AS@LIBRARY.NOVELL.LEEDS.AC.UK]
Sent: Friday, May 30, 1997 8:49 AM
To: MEMORIES@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject: Re: Origin of term "Holocaust"
There are two Hebrew words (e.g. Hurban?) for catastrophe used in
this context. Surprisingly (for me) the Oxford English Dictionary
(2nd ed) gives examples of the specific use of "holocaust" from 1942
(News Chronicle newspaper) and Hansard (UK Parliament, House of
Lords) in 1943 etc. It covers the period from 1933-1945 i.e. from
Hitler's first enactments of anti-Jewish laws it seems. Adrian Smith
'Date sent: Thu, 29 May 1997 20:04:36 +0100
'Send reply to: "Project Memories of the 1940's,
' for Children in Project Chatback"
<MEMORIES@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
'From: Tom Holloway <xuegx@CSV.WARWICK.AC.UK>
'Subject: Re: Origin of term "Holocaust"
'To: MEMORIES@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
'> "Holocoust" and what it means. I assumed it was a Jewish term but
was at a loss
'> of what it means and how the term came to be used in reference to
the Jewish
'> loss of lives.
'
'
'The Oxford Etymological Dictionary gives....
'
''Whole burnt offering; complete sacrifice; complete
'destruction.' From the Greek 'holo' (whole) 'kaustos'
'(burnt) and late latin 'holocaustum'. The word
''caustic' has the same derivation.
'
'
'
'Hendrickson (Word and Phrase Origins) says that it has
'been used for 3 Centuries to denote massacre by fire.
'
'======================================
'Tom Holloway - (+44) (0) 1926 888333
'Home: 01926 771772 Fax: 01926 771707
'Internet: t.holloway@warwick.ac.uk
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'
Adrian Smith
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