Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 13:51:20 -0400

From: Ron Butters RonButters[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM

Subject: Re: Damned if you do, damned if you don't



Allan writes:



If a linguist doing fieldwork in

another language were to express

anger at the ritual greetings used

in that language, we would be

shocked at such unprofessional

behavior.



However, using oneself as an informant--and dispassionately examining one's

own irritation at theritual language of one's own culture--is good scientific

procedure, n'est-ce pas?