Hello Scott, The etymological roots of the lurker terminology in different languages is a fascinating topic of discussion. As you have already noticed with the french language, the semantic connotations tend to be different and reveal the nuances of internet cultures across different contexts. In Spanish, my mother language, the literal translation of "lurker" is "acechador." This translation, however, is not commonly used perhaps due to the fact that it has semantic connotations linked to the behavior of animals and hunters (*El leon acecha a su presa/ The lion lurks for its prey *). Another Spanish translation for "lurker" is the term "mirón." This term is more commonly used and it is linked to the act of watching, and to voyeuristic practices. However, what I have also heard in my Spanish conversations with people from South America and Spain is that when we speak about internet culture, online participation, and communities of practice, we tend to use the anglicism "lurker." Thanks, //andres On Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 10:14 AM, Scott Kushner <scott.kushner@gmail.com>wrote:
Hi AOIRites (apologies for x-posting),
I'm at the beginnings of a project on internet lurking and have a question for the polyglots among you. What are the terms used in languages other than English for lurking, which I understand to refer to the practices of reading online without writing? Bonus points for etymological guideposts.
For example, the contemporary English "to lurk" is tied to words having to do with scowling, lowering, working, and scheming, whence the familiar eavesdropping connotations. It is also linked to shrugging off one's work responsibilities.
In French (at least here in Québec), they use the terms "badauder" (verb), "badaud" (individual), and "badaudage" (practice). These are all linked to words having to do with stupefaction, surprise, and involuntary astonishment.
So, in the two languages I speak, two very different sets of etymological baggage. Thanks in advance for enlightening me to terminology in languages you speak, either on- or off-list.
Scott Kushner scott.kushner@gmail.com _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
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