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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Vocabulary

Sericeman vs Soldier

The newsmedia have gradually replaced "soldier" with "serviceman" or "serviceperson" as the favored term. Are these terms indeed interchangable? Why has "soldier" been exiled (I suspect the media is subserviently accepting Pentagon jargon as Doublespeak to make war sound less war-like) ?

Has anyone else noticed this trend?
  

Top answer

Hi, One could write a book on such terms. Consider examples like 'insurgents' or 'militants' instead of 'rebels'. Or 'enemy combatants'.

— Clive

  • Hi, One could write a book on such terms.
  • Consider examples like 'insurgents' or 'militants' instead of 'rebels'.
  • Or 'enemy combatants'.
  • Let's not even start on 'collateral damage'.
  • Clive
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3 Answers
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Hi,

One could write a book on such terms.

Consider examples like 'insurgents' or 'militants' instead of 'rebels'.

Or 'enemy combatants'.

Let's not even start on 'collateral damage'.

Clive
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Not all members of the military do the same jobs. Some are doctors, lawyers or mechanics. The word "soldier" implies a combat troop, so the media has moved toward the more neutral (and positive) word "serviceperson".
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People in the Navy are not soldiers, and Marine are Marines. I'm not even sure what you call people in the Air Force with gender neutrality - airmen won't work... airpeople? Surely not!

On the other hand, all are "service members."

I am proud to have served in the Armed Forces of my country, and I was not a solider.

It's not Pentagon doublespeak and it's not trying to
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