Debunking the "Brothel Law" Myth - Page 11

MysticCat · #**151** 02-13-2010, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TitaniumGene

It seems unlikely that you will find a school with only fraternities and no sororities.

Davidson College.

ADqtPiMel · #**152** 02-13-2010, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaneSig

The Kidd Kraddick in the Morning Show, a nationally syndicated radio show based here in Dallas addressed this issue this morning. One of their personalities, Jenna, is a Delta Gamma from Miami University. She claimed that there were no sorority houses at Miami due to "11 women living in the same house is a brothel". I called in to dispute it, but this show is notorious for not taking calls from male listeners. I was told they would pass on the information. Yeah, I'm sure.

I went to Miami, and yeah, the "brothel law" thing was pervasive. My roommate was a campus tour guide, and some of the guides would throw that out as a fun fact during the tours.

xxstardust · #**153** 02-13-2010, 08:43 PM

I just wanted to mention that when I met with my university president about Greek life at my school - he told us that they didn't have sorority houses at his college because of the brothel law!

And he looked very disappointed to find out that it wasn't true!

ASAlamb · #**154** 02-14-2010, 05:01 PM

Building off of the brothel law rumor, a while back a woman on campus said that her sorority is called a women's fraternity because when her org was founded, a sorority was another word for a brothel. I've read that the word sorority didn't even exist until Gamma Phi Beta was founded... am I right in thinking she was ignorant/full of crap?

ASTalumna06 · #**155** 02-14-2010, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASAlamb

Building off of the brothel law rumor, a while back a woman on campus said that her sorority is called a women's fraternity because when her org was founded, a sorority was another word for a brothel. I've read that the word sorority didn't even exist until Gamma Phi Beta was founded... am I right in thinking she was ignorant/full of crap?

First of all... yes, she's full of crap

Just like fraternity comes from the Latin word 'frater' which means 'brother', sorority comes from the Latin word 'soror' which means 'sister'.

ASAlamb · #**156** 02-14-2010, 05:42 PM

I was aware of the greek roots, I just didnt know if it had a different connotation way back when. Thanks

Psi U MC Vito · #**157** 02-14-2010, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

First of all... yes, she's full of crap

Just like fraternity comes from the Latin word 'frater' which means 'brother', sorority comes from the Latin word 'soror' which means 'sister'.

Frater in turn is derived from the Ancient Greek Phrater which means something like family. That is why there are Women's Fraternities founded after the coining of the word sorority by Gamma Phi Beta. They are just using the Greek meaning of teh word rather then the Latin one.

33girl · #**158** 02-14-2010, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASAlamb

Building off of the brothel law rumor, a while back a woman on campus said that her sorority is called a women's fraternity because when her org was founded, a sorority was another word for a brothel. I've read that the word sorority didn't even exist until Gamma Phi Beta was founded... am I right in thinking she was ignorant/full of crap?

Well, there was this fun thread.

But considering the other group on your campus is too old for that shiz, I would just tell her to get off her high horse and feed it some oats.

The word didn't exist when they were founded.

ASAlamb · #**159** 02-14-2010, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Well, there was this fun thread.

But considering the other group on your campus is too old for that shiz, I would just tell her to get off her high horse and feed it some oats.

The word didn't exist when they were founded.

Your link just leads me to the reply form for this thread

I will probably just let this slide since we are currently making huge efforts toward a stronger Panhellenic spirit

. Hopefully the whole chapter doesn't think that sorority = brothel though!

33girl · #**160** 02-14-2010, 06:33 PM

Phooey, I fixed it. Try it now.

koray · #**161** 02-14-2010, 08:00 PM

hahaha kalimera vre gitonas

i did meant to enter a chat page but i found myself in forum.. this story is not about hellas, is it ? i thought this was suppose to be hellenic page.

Senusret I · #**162** 02-14-2010, 08:06 PM

You thought like lit.

knight_shadow · #**163** 02-14-2010, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senusret I

You thought like lit.

*dead*

ASAlamb · #**164** 02-14-2010, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Phooey, I fixed it. Try it now.

Thanks for the link! I wonder if other women's fraternities are teaching their new members similar stuff as ZTA?

(Not that I want to resurrect a dead horse just to beat it to death again

)

MysticCat · #**165** 02-15-2010, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASAlamb

I've read that the word sorority didn't even exist until Gamma Phi Beta was founded... am I right in thinking she was ignorant/full of crap?

Yes, you are right in thinking that, but . . .

. . . meaning absolutely no disrespect to Gamma Phi Beta or Dr. Brown, the word "sorority" did exist before Gamma Phi Beta. Sir Thomas More used it in his writings around 1530. Granted, it was never as common a word as "fraternity" (which had a long use among religious communities prior to its use for what we think of as fraternities), but it when he suggested it in the 1870s for Gamma Phi Beta, Dr. Brown could have been drawing on a knowledge of More's writings. Of course, he also could have been completely unaware of the previous use of the word and simply did what someone before him had done -- gone back to the Latin sororitas and anglicized it in a manner similar to fraternitas.