In a conversation, James brings up the term "Hottentots," referring to the past usage of the name for the Khoi people in Africa. He highlights how language evolves alongside culture and identity, particularly emphasizing the need for the Germans to abandon their elaborate term "Hottentotenpotentatenstantenattentater," which has a humorous and convoluted meaning related to a fictional attack on a Hottentot potentate's aunt.
This exchange illustrates the shift from outdated and often...