Defining My Terms

I’ve been gently reminded by a new reader that a good social scientist always defines his terms, especially for laypeople who may not be familiar with dense academic concepts or a sophisticated scientific vocabulary.

For the purposes of this blog (and my research in general) Tzombi refers to a living dead/deceased person, regardless of race or ethnic origin. The etymology of the term is a complex one and in subsequent postings, I will certainly endeavor to illuminate the threads of language and history that have carried the term into our modern English usage.

A significant number of governmental agencies have adopted the term “Revenant” as an alternative label for the tzombi population. Personally, I find this term to be clinical, misleading, and just plain inaccurate, but governmental entities seldom take advice from their more learned colleagues in the institutions of higher learning. A sad commentary on the state of our educational system, indeed.