• E_coli42@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      A specific language does not specify which flavor of God they mean. Do you think that Spanish Christians and Dutch Christians have different flavors of gods because one says Dios and the other says Hot? Arab Christians say Allah, you know. I think you are confusing language with religion.

      • luciferofastora@feddit.org
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        9 days ago

        No, but using one language and then interjecting a word or a phrase in a different language implies some intent in choosing that word. It might be a technical term, or there might be a contextual reason to use that other language.

        For instance, historians talking about Ancient Greece may choose to use the term polis instead of, say, city-state or some other English term, because it carries specific nuances of meaning relevant to understanding how the members of that polis thought about the city, the land and the people making up that polis.

        If you’re talking about historical European swords and someone mentions a Messer, that’s usually not just someone randomly using the German word for “knife” but rather someone referring to a type of single-edged swords.

        In that same vein, using the Arabic word instead of god suggests that I mean some god that is particularly associated with Arabic. Even if it’s not the only possibility, it’s most likely that I’m referring to the god of Islam.