topic Re: Linguistic Question in Community Chat

Linguistic Question

PickyPicky3 — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 17:29:06 GMT

As usual, I'm watching Court TV, in this case the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial in Brunswick, Georgia.

Yesterday, while questioning a police officer, the prosecutor asked, "So he wasn't stealing anything -- he was just plunderin' around, right?"

My northeastern ears have never heard "plunderin' around." To me, to plunder means to steal.

Could the prosecutor have made a language mistake, or is this a phrase used in the southeast?

**** Now they're discussing a police term "trespass-out." That's also new to me.

****Now they're talking about the phrase plundering around!!! Saying it doesn't mean stealing. Help!

Re: Linguistic Question

millieshops — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 17:32:52 GMT

@PickyPicky3 I'm in southern Florida and have never heard plunder to mean anything innocent. No idea what the prosecutor meant.

Re: Linguistic Question

stevieb — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 17:36:16 GMT

Growing up, my parents used to talk about me 'plundering' through boxes or other closed or concealed areas to see what might be in them, so I do get an alternative meaning but clearly the most common use of the term sort of goes with pillage, and most often means to loot, rob, or take something that does't belong to one.

Re: Linguistic Question

Queen of shop — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 17:42:03 GMT

@PickyPicky3 When I hear plunder, it reminds me of pirate stories. How the pirates plundered places that they landed. IMO the word is synonymous with robbing.

Re: Linguistic Question

SilleeMee — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 18:12:46 GMT

Plunder means to steal. I wonder if that prosecutor meant to say rummaging around instead of plundering around.

Re: Linguistic Question

Porcelain — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 18:17:35 GMT

I don't think the prosecutor would say that about the murder victim. He probably said blundering around.

Re: Linguistic Question

Desertdi — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 18:18:18 GMT

Is it possible the word in question is BLUNDERING

Re: Linguistic Question

SXMGirl — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 22:29:27 GMT

My grandmother grew up very poor in the south and she used plundering that meant to be going through things that did not belong to you. She never said blundering. It may be a regional word, like many that we have.

Re: Linguistic Question

PickyPicky3 — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 23:31:18 GMT

It's definitely plundering around.

I just heard it used in a bodycam recording of a Glynn County officer.

Must be a regional usage. I'm sure Court TV got a lot of questions if they had their reporter specifically explain that it doesn't mean stealing.

We've lost so much unique regional language. It was a pleasure to hear a phrase like that.

Re: Linguistic Question

GrailSeeker — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 23:39:27 GMT

I agree. "Plunder" means to take something, unlawfully.

Never heard of it meaning anything else, and never heard of someone just "plundering around". I'm from the Midwest.

Re: Linguistic Question

Sage04 — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 00:09:54 GMT

I think the Prosecutor used the wrong word. So he wasn't stealing anything, was he just plundering around. Doesn't make sense.

Re: Linguistic Question

RedTop — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 00:34:34 GMT

As a curious child, I loved to plunder in things that didn't belong to me, like jewelry boxes and closets where there were pocketbooks and high heeled shoes!

I never stole anything, and family learned it was a great way to keep me occupied. My habit was actually started by my family; grandmothers entertained me with their costume jewelry, as did teenage cousins who no longer had toys in their bedrooms for me to play with.

In this area of WV, plundering and stealing have different meanings.

Re: Linguistic Question

Goldengate8361 — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 01:12:02 GMT

The prosecutor probably just used the wrong word. It happens.

Re: Linguistic Question

bonnielu — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 01:25:31 GMT

In some areas of the country it means to rummage. Not a legal term as I understand it.

Re: Linguistic Question

gertrudecloset — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 02:01:58 GMT

@PickyPicky3 wrote:
As usual, I'm watching Court TV, in this case the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial in Brunswick, Georgia.

Yesterday, while questioning a police officer, the prosecutor asked, "So he wasn't stealing anything -- he was just plunderin' around, right?"

My northeastern ears have never heard "plunderin' around." To me, to plunder means to steal.

Could the prosecutor have made a language mistake, or is this a phrase used in the southeast?

**** Now they're discussing a police term "trespass-out." That's also new to me.

****Now they're talking about the phrase plundering around!!! Saying it doesn't mean stealing. Help!

Sounds like a southern saying (South Eastern portion of the USA). Maybe prosecutor has roots there. She may have been trying to be "sarcastic." Plunder means to take with force.

Re: Linguistic Question

gertrudecloset — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 02:03:32 GMT

@SXMGirl wrote:
My grandmother grew up very poor in the south and she used plundering that meant to be going through things that did not belong to you. She never said blundering. It may be a regional word, like many that we have.

Yes @SXMGirl .....southern vernacular