Pirate swords and weapons

A. G. Maisey · 9th January 2008, 05:30 AM

Yes Fernando, in general terms of course we can consider that piracy has a broader meaning than the one I am prepared to give it.

However, I was not speaking in general terms, but in quite specific terms, in reference to Brookes, the British Government, and the Sea Dyaks or Iban.

Examination of the circumstances of this matter can leave no doubt that the Sea Dyaks were created by Brookes, and dubbed "pirates", even though they were not pirates in a sense that would be understood by a speaker of Standard English at the time they were so created. It was political opportunism.Just that. And it has stuck for going on 200 years.

The reason I made reference to the variation in application of various understandings to words in the English language is that this language has a very large number of variations, Kronckew used an American English dictionary as his reference, but it would be quite illogical to use a modern dictionary of American English to define the way in which an Englishman in 1839 would understand a particular word.

In any case, let's leave our Ibans, but let's leave them without the stigma of being pirates. They were not.

9th January 2008, 05:30 AM	#23
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	Yes Fernando, in general terms of course we can consider that piracy has a broader meaning than the one I am prepared to give it. However, I was not speaking in general terms, but in quite specific terms, in reference to Brookes, the British Government, and the Sea Dyaks or Iban. Examination of the circumstances of this matter can leave no doubt that the Sea Dyaks were created by Brookes, and dubbed "pirates", even though they were not pirates in a sense that would be understood by a speaker of Standard English at the time they were so created. It was political opportunism.Just that. And it has stuck for going on 200 years. The reason I made reference to the variation in application of various understandings to words in the English language is that this language has a very large number of variations, Kronckew used an American English dictionary as his reference, but it would be quite illogical to use a modern dictionary of American English to define the way in which an Englishman in 1839 would understand a particular word. In any case, let's leave our Ibans, but let's leave them without the stigma of being pirates. They were not.