The Diplomat
More than twenty Jewish communities around the world have formally requested the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language (RAE) to suppress in the Dictionary of the Language the meaning of “Jew” as “greedy or usurious person” because they consider it an “offensive” meaning, that defines in pejorative and discriminatory terms” a community of identity, and that does not reflect the use of the current language in the Spanish-speaking community, where respect and the promotion of diversity and multiculturalism prevails”, according to the agencies Efe and Europa Press.
The request, which “appeals to the sensitivity of the RAE to promote a respectful and inclusive language”, was promoted by the Jewish Community of Panama and also asks for the deletion of the term “judiada” as “bad pass or action that harms someone”.
“We understand that the dictionary definitions reflect the use of language and do not in themselves promote hateful behavior, but they should be corrected as they are totally anachronistic to the social and cultural reality of the 21st century,” said lawyer Boja Luján Lago, who represents the 20 communities in countries such as Panama, Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Uruguay.
“Dictionaries have the task of reflecting the use and evolution of language, and their content is based on linguistic and academic criteria. In a context in which Spanish and Ibero-American society is increasingly sensitive to diverse identities and that the lack of respect to define groups is mostly rejected by our society, we believe that these meanings should be updated to correctly reflect the use of the language in our days,” he added.
The request has been submitted to the RAE Registry. Academy sources consulted by Efe confirmed yesterday that the request had already been received and that “it will be processed following the usual channels for its study”.
