[KS] Re: Cheering

CHIRKOV dansh at chirkov.com
Sat Dec 27 14:03:17 EST 2003


 >I had always assumed it was imported from the Japanese "fight-o!" 
which is used in the same context. I never fail to hear it at Japanese 
sporting events.

Perhaps because at traditional "sporting" events, such as Kendo (Kr. 
kumdo), cheering was considered to be in bad taste.

Early in the 20th century, we find the Noma Hisashi writing in his 
Rules for the (kendo) dojo, "Be quiet and conscientious; do not engage 
in noisy chatter, laughter, clapping of hands, or cheering."(1)-- 
perhaps because such behavior was becoming increasingly common?

In any case, since cheering was not previously thought of as 
sophisticated, there was no indigenous vocabulary to use when it became 
acceptable due to western influence (from say, baseball) - and thus a 
foreign loan word had to be taken?

(1) http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~cklin/dojo/noma.html

Regards,
Dan.





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