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| In the United States, the more neutral descriptive term ] is currently preferred in public discourse, in the pattern of ], ], ] and others. Acceptable words vary from country to country and, ultimately, from individual to individual. | In the United States, the more neutral descriptive term ] is currently preferred in public discourse, in the pattern of ], ], ] and others. Acceptable words vary from country to country and, ultimately, from individual to individual. | ||
| ] novel '']'' has been subjected to censorship numerous times because the word is used in the book in an everyday fashion, reflecting its common usage among rural Americans during the time the book was written. | |||
| It is worth noting that the word has to some extent been reclaimed by black people in recent years, particularly in America. | It is worth noting that the word has to some extent been reclaimed by black people in recent years, particularly in America. | ||
Revision as of 11:36, 11 September 2002
Nigger is a pejorative term used to refer to dark-skinned people, particularly those of African origin. It is believed to derive from the word Negro, and was common in the United States and United Kingdom as recently as the 1960s. Its implications of racism are so strong that it is now unusual to hear it except in very specialised contexts. Many publications will not even print it, instead using the euphemism "N-word".
In the United States, the more neutral descriptive term African-American is currently preferred in public discourse, in the pattern of Native American, Italian-American, Asian-American and others. Acceptable words vary from country to country and, ultimately, from individual to individual.
Mark Twain's novel Huckleberry Finn has been subjected to censorship numerous times because the word is used in the book in an everyday fashion, reflecting its common usage among rural Americans during the time the book was written.
It is worth noting that the word has to some extent been reclaimed by black people in recent years, particularly in America.
Many young African-Americans, in particular, use the word to one another without any derogatory implication. In 1988 the album Straight Outta Compton was released by the rap group Niggaz With Attitude -- despite their own use of the word nigger the group's name was often glossed as "NWA", perhaps reflecting the extreme discomfort that still surrounds any use of the word.
As an illustration of the process of reclaiming the word, in 1967, Muhammad Ali had explained his refusal to be drafted to serve in the Vietnam War by saying, "I got nothing against no Viet Cong. No Vietnamese ever called me nigger." Comedian and activist Dick Gregory used the word as the title of his best-selling autobiography in 1964.
It should be reiterated that the word is considered extremely offensive other than in the very specific context described above, and is rarely heard outside that context. Indeed, even the sound of the word is offensive to some.
Careful speakers often refuse to use niggardly or snigger, even though these terms do not refer either to black people or to characteristics or behavior attributed to black people. A bureaucrat in the city government of Washington, D.C. was briefly driven from his job in the late 1990s when he was overheard referring in a private conversation to "a niggardly budget", meaning only that it was insufficient and cheap.
External Link
Books
- ISBN 0671735608 Nigger: an autobiography, by Dick Gregory
- ISBN 0375421726 Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word, by Randall Kennedy