Romanian Language Dictionary defines the word “Jidan” ( en: “Kike”) as familiar
In August 2011, the Center for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism (MCA) was sending an open letter to the Romanian Academy Language Institute signaling that the word “jidan” (en: kike) had been redefined in the 2009 edition of the Romanian Language Dictionary edited by the Academy, from a “popular and pejorative” term to a “familiar” one for the word Jew.
In the words of MCA: “The characterization of the word ‘JIDAN’ as being a ‘familiar’ word transforms the most abject expression of Anti-Semitism existent in the Romanian language into a synonym of the word ‘Jew’. The word ‘JIDAN’ is an expression of racism in the most primitive form: in the word ‘JIDAN’ one may find the essence of hatred towards the Jews: it is the most comprising expression of anti-Semitism. The word ‘JIDAN is the last word heard by the hundreds thousands Jews whose goods had been stolen, burnt and destroyed before the butt broke their bones, before having been loaded in the wagons of the death train, before many of them had been killed like animals only because they were born Jews. ‘JIDAN’ is the word which nowadays is written with golden letters on the manifests of the old and new national-extremist political groups who, under our eyes, develop their forces and strengthen the rehabilitation efforts of those who committed crimes against the ‘JIDANS’”.
The Academy Language Institute replied that the replacing of the indication "popular and pejorative" with "familiar" had happen out of an error. In describing the way the experts work when compiling the dictionary, the Institute also mentioned that they take into account the “correct definitions from a political point of view”. The Institute also mentioned they would replace the indication in further editions with (pejorative meaning, not recommended), and they expressed their availability to public an explanatory note in the media or on the internet.
MCA reacted and stated: “The ‘error’ invoked by you as the cause that led to defining the word ‘JIDAN’ (‘KIKE’ in English) as familiar, is an ‘error’ difficult to accept and understand, when it comes from the Romanian Academy. This is a very serious ‘error’, which needs to be corrected promptly and adequately. The effect of this situation, of this context, of this reality which the Romanian Academy has established through an ‘error’, as you say, has the effect of bringing into our present, in actual palpable manner for the Jews, the echoes of that dark period in Romania’s history, when the word ‘JIDAN’ was used with the frequency and ease of a ‘familiar’ word (…) Our request addressed to the Romanian Academy to correctly define the word ‘JIDAN’, pointing out its racist and anti-Semitic meaning is not, from our point of view, a matter of ‘political correctness’. It is a matter of offering to the public a correct, a real and a non-discriminatory definition for one of the words from the Romanian language vocabulary carrying the heaviest and most terrible load, with devastating effects on the Romanian Jewry (…) Defining this word only as being ‘pejorative and not recommended’ as you proposed in your reply to us, omits the irreparable, destructive effects which the word ‘JIDAN’ has produced since the times when it was adopted, formally and at national level, as another ‘familiar’ name for ‘Jew’. This is a name which represented then, and continues to represent today, the denial of our own humanity (…) In conclusion, we ask you Sir, to explain to our fellow citizens the real meaning of the word ‘JIDAN’”. [1]
In September 2011, the Institute director was declaring that they were discussing the new definition with the community. [2]
Sources:
1. MCA Press Statements and other documents on the case available at: http://www.crj.ro/EN/The-Center-for-Legal-Resources-supports-the-position-of-the-Center-for-Monitoring-and-Combating-Anti-Semitism-in-Romania-in-what-regards-the-definition-of-the-word-JIDAN-kike-in-DEX-/ (Accessed on 06.03.2012)
2. Dana Ilie, “The Romanian Academy has not concluded yet how it is going to modify in the DEX the meanings of the words tigan and jidan, in Romania Libera”, 21.09.2011, available at: http://www.romanialibera.ro/timpul-liber/fapt-divers/academia-romana-nu-a-convenit-inca-forma-in-care-va-modifica-in-dex-sensul-cuvintelor-tigan-si-jidan-238385.html (Accessed on 06.03.2012) The Academy was also working of redefining the word Gypsy, to capture its negative meanings (see Case Studies Section)
