Diacritiques

The other day, Dr Dave at unknowngenius passionately disputed something I had said earlier. My crime? Having suggested that in Terence’s line

Homo sum: humani nil a me alienum puto.

the word homo should be translated as human being.

I should, of course, know better than to reply to a post in which the term “PC” is uttered. On this matter, I wholeheartedly agree with how the Guardian style guide puts it:

political correctness
a term to be avoided on the grounds that it is, in Polly Toynbee’s words, “an empty rightwing smear designed only to elevate its user”

But I know Dave as an all in all great guy who is only sometimes misguided. So I am making an exception.  read the post »