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| '''Nigger''', also spelled '''niger''' (obs.), '''nigor''' (obs. dial. Eng.), '''nigre''', '''nigar''' (Caribbean), '''niggor''' (obs. dial.), '''neger''' (obs. U.S.), '''niggur''', '''nigga''', '''niggah''', and '''niggar''' (obs.), is a derogatory term used to refer to black people. | |||
| During the period when ] was practiced worldwide, and in particular by the United States and European countries, and for several decades after Europe and North America prohibited slavery, it was a standard, casual English term for ] people and was not an insult or pejorative; it was from the Spanish word ''negro,'' simply meaning "black". Associated with the word traditionally have been an often casual contempt, a ] assumption of black inherent inferiority, even of bestiality, making it extremely pejorative. | |||
| == Etymology == | |||
| The word ''Negro'' stems from the Latin word ''niger'' for the color black. The word ''nigger'' originates from the ] nègre (with a similar meaning) or perhaps from ] and German neger, all derived from the ] adjective niger, meaning black. In English, negroor neger became ''negar'' and finally ''nigger''. ''Neger'' (sometimes spelled "neggar") prevailed in northern ] under the Dutch and also in ], in its ] and ] communities. For example, the ] ] was originally known as "Begraaf Plaats van de Neger." It was initially also used by the British as a derogatory term for ]ns, after they colonized the ]. | |||
| In the United States, the word ''nigger'' was not originally considered derogatory, but merely denotative of black, as it was in much of the world. In nineteenth-century American literature, there are many uses of the word ''nigger'' with no intended negative connotation (see below). The perception of the term ''nigger'' as derogatory is no doubt related to the fact that the Negro race itself was widely regarded as inferior, lazy, stupid and criminally inclined by light-skinned North Americans of the time. There is an observable pattern of words denoting black people coming to be regarded as derogatory as there is with all ethnic groups. Some well known ones are: ''Nigger,'' ''darky,'' ''coon,'' and ''colored,'' all at various times acceptable, but all considered politically offensive now in North America. ''Black'' was generally the preferred term from the late 1960s until the 1990s but has now been displaced by black groups in formal politically correct usage by '']'', which resembles the term ''Afro-American'' that was in vogue in the early 1970s. The term ''African American'' is imprecise, insofar as neither the population of Africa is entirely black nor do all blacks live in the Americas, most so called ''blacks'' of North America are mixed race, and it seems pretentious to many, as did the term "person of color," which (ironically, insofar as it means the same as "colored person") gained some currency in the early 1990s. Consequently, ''Black'' continues in widespread popular use as a racial designation. | |||
| In Cuba the Spanish word ''prieto'' (similar origin to the Portuguese ''preto'') is not derogatory. In Cuba a ''prieto'' is someone who is very dark, but not black ("Negro"). | |||
| At times, ]s have appropriated the slur, subverting it to a self-referential term that is often suggestive of familiarity, endearment, or kinship. When spelled phonetically, the word often is represented as ''nigguh'' or even ''nikuh'' for some speakers; however, currently, when used in this manner, the spelling is often changed to ''nigga'' or ''niggah''. | |||
| ==Usage== | |||
| In the United States, the word was freely used by both light skinned people and blacks until the ] of the ]. A striking usage is in televised coverage of a march in ], when protesters, led by Dr. ], were met with attacks from dogs and fire hoses. A light skinned woman from another Alabama county was interviewed. Visibly upset, she said, "It's not right. We don't treat niggers like that here." ] Governor ] also used the term when advocating expanded voting rights for "African Americans". At that time, the term was less noteworthy than the expressions of support by light skinned southerners, as it was a common regional term for blacks, along with ''Negro'' and "colored". | |||
| Today, the implied ] of the term is so strong that the use of ''nigger'' in most situations is a social ] in English-speaking countries. Many American magazines and newspapers will not even print the word in full, instead using ''n*gg*r, n**ger, n——,'' or simply "the N-word". A '']'' article on ]'s ] candidacy for ] went so far as to replace it with the ] "the less-refined word for black people". The word was also completely excised from the ] ] dictionary, despite its common usage. The shock effect of the word can also be used to deliberately cause offense. Several activists such as ] have said the use of "N-word" instead of "Nigger" throughout today's English vernacular, robs younger generations of the full history of black people in America. For example, using "the N-word" in place of "]", which was also another pejorative term, would rob younger generations of the full gravity of the ]. | |||
| In ], the word is now rarely used in polite speech by urban light skinned people in any context; however, it has seen common use in rural or semi-frontier districts. In this context, the usage was British colonial, that is, applying generically to dark-skinned people of any origin (c.v. ]). This has led to controversy, since ]s have started to take the term strongly to heart, in both the pejorative and revisionist senses. See below under ]. In neighboring ] the term has been used to refer to ] people, as well (Simpson, 1989). | |||
| In the past ''nigger'' was sometimes used as a synonym for "defect". For example, the May, 1886 issue of ''Scientific American,'' page 308 said, "The consequence of neglect might be that what the workmen call ‘a nigger’ would get into the armature, and burn it so as to destroy its service". Also in the past, ''nigger'' sometimes meant a disadvantaged person. For example, ], an American politician once said that "it's time for somebody to lead all of America's Niggers".<ref>"nigger." ''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged''. Merriam-Webster, 2002. <http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com> .</ref> Similar uses of the word were made by Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. | |||
| ===Literary uses=== | |||
| ''Nigger'' has a long history of controversy in literature. ], a light skinned photographer and writer famous as a supporter of the ], provoked debate and some protest from the "African" American community by titling his ] novel '']''. The controversy centered on the use of the word in the title and fueled the sales of the hit novel. Of the controversy, ] wrote: | |||
| <blockquote>No book could possibly be as bad as ''Nigger Heaven'' has been painted. And no book has ever been better advertised by those who wished to damn it. Because it was declared obscene, everybody wanted to read it, and I'll venture to say that more Negroes bought it than ever purchased a book by a Negro author. Then, as now, the use of the word "nigger" by a white was a flashpoint for debates about the relationship between African American culture and its White patrons.</blockquote> | |||
| The famous controversy over ]'s novel '']'' (]), a classic frequently taught in American schools, revolves largely around the novel's 215 uses of the word, often referring to Jim, Huck's raft mate.<ref>{{cite web | |||
| | title= Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn | |||
| | work=The Complete Works of Mark-Twain | |||
| | url=http://www.mtwain.com/Adventures_Of_Huckleberry_Finn/ | |||
| | accessdate=2006-03-12}} | |||
| </ref><ref>{{cite web | |||
| | title=Academic Resources: Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word | |||
| | work=Random House | |||
| | url=http://www.randomhouse.com/acmart/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375713712&view=tg | |||
| | accessdate=2006-03-13}}</ref> | |||
| ''Nigger in the Window'' is a book written by a young black girl who describes the world from her window.<ref>{{cite book | |||
| | first=Helen Jackson | |||
| | last=Lee | |||
| | year=1978 | |||
| | title=Nigger in the Window | |||
| | publisher=Doubleday | |||
| | location=Garden City, N.Y. | |||
| | id=ISBN 0385071426 }}</ref> | |||
| Slaves often pandered to racist assumptions by using the word "nigger" to their advantage in the self-deprecatory artifice of ].<ref>{{cite web | |||
| | author=Stephen Railton | |||
| | year=2005 | |||
| | title=Tomming In Our Time | |||
| | work=University of Virginia, Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities | |||
| | url=http://www.iath.virginia.edu/utc/interpret/exhibits/tomming/tomminghp.html | |||
| | accessdate=2006-03-13}}</ref> Implicit was an unspoken reminder that a presumedly inferior person or subhuman could not reasonably be held responsible for work performed incorrectly, a fire in the kitchen, or any similar offense. It was a means of deflecting responsibility in the hope of escaping the wrath of an overseer or master. Its use as a self-referential term was also a way to avoid suspicion and put whites at ease. A slave who referred to himself or another black as a "nigger" presumably accepted his subordinate role and posed no threat to white authority. | |||
| An example of this historical use in American literature occurs in ]'s ] '']'' (]). The narrator and a white character in the story use ''negro'' to refer to a black servant, Jupiter, while Jupiter himself uses ''nigger''.<ref>{{cite book | |||
| | first=Edgar Allan | |||
| | last=Poe | |||
| | origyear=1843 | |||
| | title=The Gold Bug | |||
| | publisher=PoeStories.com | |||
| | url=http://www.poestories.com/text.php?file=goldbug }} | |||
| </ref><ref>{{cite book | |||
| | first=Edgar Allan | |||
| | last=Poe | |||
| | year=1990 | |||
| | title=The Gold Bug | |||
| | publisher=Creative Education | |||
| | location=Mankato, Minnesota | |||
| | id=ISBN 088682303X }}</ref> | |||
| ]'s novel '']'', also known as ''Ten Little Indians'', originally appeared as ''Ten Little Niggers''. Among the classic novels of ] (famous for his use of the word in ]) is '']'' (]). | |||
| ]'s 1960 novel, ], also uses the term "nigger" throughout, and efficiently demonstrates the racism present during the mid-1930s. | |||
| Other examples of literary usage in ] during the late 19th and early 20th centuries suggest a more neutral usage of the term, which can cause a problem when reading such books today when the word has such an offensive meaning. | |||
| In the original version of their operetta “]” by ] The Mikado in his song “Make the Punishment fit the Crime” used the line “Blacked like a nigger/ With permanent walnut juice” when describing the appropriate punishment for an overly madeup society lady. The phrase caused no reaction in ], but raised enough ire on the opening night in the ] that the line was changed to “Painted with vigour/ And permanent walnut juice”.<ref>{{cite web | |||
| | title=The roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd | |||
| | work=Salon.com | |||
| | author=Michael Sragow | |||
| | url=http://salon.com/ent/col/srag/1999/12/23/leigh/index2.html | |||
| | date=] ] | |||
| | accessdate=2006-03-13}}</ref> | |||
| The “]” contains a black character referred to casually as a “nigger”, in a way which suggests no serious insult is intended. | |||
| In one ] novel the hero goes into a night club in the early 1920’s, where “a rather good nigger band” is playing. | |||
| It has been suggested that the ] usage became more prevalent in ] during and after the ]. Whether this is through contact with ] troops or whether it reflects a growing ] in ] society is open to question. | |||
| ''War Comes to Willy Freeman'' by James Collier and Christopher Collier (ISBN 0440495040) mentions the word "nigger" nineteen times. Current readers complain as this use of the word is unnecessary and, in the 18th century context of the story, is not historically correct. | |||
| ]'s ] "How the Leopard Got His Spots" tells of how an ] and a ], who are originally sand-colored, decide to paint themselves for camouflage when hunting in dense tropical forest. The story originally included a scene in which the leopard, who now has spots, asks the Ethiopian why he doesn't want spots as well. The Ethiopian's original reply, "Oh, plain black's best for a nigger", has been changed in many modern editions to read, "Oh, plain black's best for me." | |||
| ===''Nigger'' in popular culture=== | |||
| At one time, the word was used freely in branding and packaging of consumer commodities in the U.S. and England. There were brands such as Nigger Hair Tobacco, Niggerhead Oysters, and other canned goods. ]s casually were referred to as "nigger toes". As times changed, so did labeling practices. The tobacco brand became "Bigger Hare", and the canned goods brand became "Negro Head". Eventually, such names disappeared from the marketplace altogether.<ref>{{cite news | |||
| | first=Wanda J. | |||
| | last=Ravernell | |||
| | url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/06/15/HOG3ID66P11.DTL | |||
| | title=What's cute about racist kitsch? | |||
| | work=San Francisco Chronicle | |||
| | publisher= | |||
| | date=] | |||
| | accessdate=2006-03-13 | |||
| }} | |||
| </ref><ref>{{cite web | |||
| | title=Jim Crow Museum | |||
| | work=] | |||
| | url=http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/FAQ.htm | |||
| | accessdate=2006-03-13}}</ref> | |||
| The comedian and activist ] used the word as the title of his best-selling ] in ]. In ], ] explained his refusal to be drafted to serve in the ] by saying, "I got nothing against no ]. No ]ese ever called me 'nigger,'". In ], ] released a song, "Woman is the Nigger of the World", the title of which implied that women were universally oppressed. During the same year, ] used the word in the first verse of "Pusherman" (a hit song from the '']'' soundtrack). ], a founding member of the ] ] group, wrote a book in 1968 called ''Les Nègres blancs de l'Amérique'', comparing the oppression of ] to that of blacks in the southern United States. When it was translated into English, it was published under the title ''White Niggers of America''. | |||
| Not every usage of the word 'Nigger' in entertainment media has sparked protests or denoument. In one notable exception, British punk rock pioneer ] used the term in one lyric of ], from the album ]. Ironically, this usage - 'One more widow, one less white nigger' - sparked no recorded protests or complaints, and the video for the song was aired uncensored on several music programs and networks, such as ] and ] for years. | |||
| ] comedian ] used the word repeatedly in a comedy routine, suggesting that the more it was used and heard, the less power it would have. ], whose albums included '']'' and '']'', vowed to never use the word again after a trip to ] in the ]. Commenting that he never saw any niggers while in Africa, Pryor said he realized that niggers were figments of white people's imaginations. | |||
| ]]] | |||
| In ], ] group ] ("Niggaz With Attitude") released the album '']''. Although they abbreviated it in all official contexts, their self-referential use of the word caused a great deal of controversy in America over the language and lyrics of ]. Today, the word is used nearly universally among black rappers in casual contexts. | |||
| While ''nigga'' raises relatively few objections when used by black rappers, it generally is considered off-limits to nonblack performers, with exceedingly rare exceptions. The ], an all-white hip-hop group, were forced off-stage after using the word in a non-hostile context to refer to their audience. In 2001, ] performer ] provoked the ire of the African American community when she used the word in a song written by two black songwriters. (Meanwhile, wrath was limited toward punk rocker ] when she released the song "]" in 1978, and non-existent toward ] when he covered the song in 1995 and later used the word openly in one of his own songs.) Even ] an immensely popular white rapper, appreciated by a multitude of races and with many affiliations to ], refrains from using the word, although this might be out of choice rather than racial context. Recently the word nigga has been used by many non-white, but non-black rappers such as ], ] and most latin artists. The slang term has brought some controversy to America and confusion to the white population as to what forms of the word is offensive and what forms are not offensive. | |||
| African American comedian ]'s ] television special '']'' and ] ] '']'' included a segment known as "]", which humorously describes the behavior of some blacks that conform to a theoretical stereotype. Rock cast "niggas" as "low-expectation-havin'" individuals -- proud to be ignorant, violent, and on welfare- the equivalent of "]". The controversy of this, to which many took exception because they felt it pandered to reverse racism, was such that it led Rock to cease performing it. | |||
| Conversely, part of the repertoire of white American comedian ] is a routine concerning sensitive words - that words by themselves are never good or bad and it's the user's intention that counts. "We don't mind when Richard Pryor or ] uses it," he quips. "Why? Because we know they're not racists. They're Niggers!" | |||
| Since the coining of the phrase "the N-word" (see below), some television broadcasters have added the word ''nigger'' retroactively to their lists of taboo words, thereby censoring movies and television programs from the past in which the word is used, no matter its context or the effect on the program. For example, television broadcasts of the film '']'' which originally featured a white character being placed in jeopardy when forced to carry a sign saying "I hate niggers" around ], are altered so that the sign now says "I hate everybody", which is not offensive and, critics argue, renders the scene far less effective. The comedy series '']'' is rarely censored even though the "N-word" is used frequently—likely because the primary premise of the classic, groundbreaking show is directly related to the main character's social backwardness and racial biases. On the other hand, ]'s anti-racism comedy ''],'' which was co-written by Brooks and Richard Pyror, is rarely shown on American commercial television any more due to the pervasive use of the word. However, as in ''All in the Family'', the film's intent was to call attention to the issues of racism through satire—a fact discussed at length by Brooks when the film's 30th-anniversary edition DVD was released in 2004, and already patently obvious in the film's premise of a town full of white people reacting with hostility to their new, black, sheriff. | |||
| African-American comedian ] frequently has used the word in satire. In the first season of his show, '']'', a blind white supremacist, unaware of the fact that he is black, uses the word repeatedly in remarks disparaging black people and at the end of the sketch comments that he left his wife because she is a "nigger-lover". The second season of the Dave Chapelle show examines this word closely with the sketch, "The Niggar Family" a portrayal of a ] white family with a last name resembling the infamous word. The comedy hinges upon the interaction among other members of the community and results in an uncensored and laughable outcome. (source: Multimedia Events-John Cashew") | |||
| The controversial animated series ] frequently uses the word "Nigga" by the main characters and sometimes others. The term can be used to shock the other characters, or for satirical purposes, as when Granddad tells Huey not to use the word in his house, Huey reminds him that he himself used the word 46 times the day before. Granddad's reply is "Nigga hush!". The show also makes note of "Nigga Moments", where an otherwise well-adjusted black man acts in an ignorant or self-destructive way out of anger. The show was criticized for putting the word "Nigga" in the mouth of a fictionalized ]. | |||
| Actor ] of the ] tried in ] to ] the word "Nigga" for use on clothing, books and other merchandise. His application was rejected by the ], citing a law that prohibits marks that are "immoral or scandalous." A previous attempt by entrepreneur Keon Rhodan to trademark the term "Nigga'Clothing" in 2001 was also unsuccessful. | |||
| ===Names of places and things=== | |||
| Because the word was used freely for many years, there are many official place-names containing the word ''nigger''. Examples include ], ], and ]. In 1967, the ] changed the word ''nigger'' to ''Negro'' in 143 specific place names, but use of the word has not been completely eliminated in federal government. | |||
| One specific example is that of 'Nigger Head Mountain', located just outside of ]. For decades, a particular hillock was referred to as such due to the forestation at the peak resembling a black man's hairstyle of the times. It became a popular spot for the predominantly-white local high school students to show their spirit by holding pep rallies and post-game parties, and even during the start of the ] news services continued to refer to the hillock as 'Nigger Head' with almost no reported complaints from either side of the rights struggle. In 1966, First Lady ], as part of her beautification efforts at the time, denounced the name and asked both the US Board on Geographic Names and the US Forest Service to take immediate steps to change the name to something more acceptable to changing views. The name was officially changed to 'Colored Mountain' in 1968, and while both maps and road signs were replaced with ones bearing the new name, local inhabitants still refer to the location by its original name. | |||
| A point on the ] was known, well into the middle and late 20th century, as Free Nigger Point, or Freenigger Point. A later variation was Free Negro Point, but the location, in ], is now known as Wilkinson Point.<ref>{{cite web | |||
| | title=Free Negro Point | |||
| | work=USGS Geographic Names Information System | |||
| | url=http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=120:3:1424368304820597522::NO::P3_FID:535095 | |||
| | accessdate=2006-03-12}}</ref> The geographic coordinates are {{coor d|30.5126893|N|91.2126084|W|}} | |||
| A jagged rock formation resembling a silhouetted human face protruding from a cliff over highway 421 north of ] was called "Nigger Head Rock" until the 1970s, when the name was changed to "Great Stone Face." Checks issued by a local bank in the 1940s bore an illustration of the rock accompanied by the original name. | |||
| The British term for a black iron marine ], made from an old cannon partially buried muzzle upward, with a slightly oversize black cannonball covering the hole, was "niggerhead". Sailors also once called an isolated ] head a ]. The latter are notorious as ] hazards. | |||
| Many varieties of flora and fauna commonly are still referred to by terms which include the word. The ], which is native to ], is round, the size of a cabbage, and covered with large, crooked thorns. The colloquial name for ], or coneflower, is, variously, "Kansas niggerhead" or "wild niggerhead". The "niggerhead termite"(''Nasutitermes graveolus'')<ref>{{cite web | |||
| | title=Semiochemicals of Nasutitermes graveolus, the Niggerhead termite | |||
| | work=The Pherobase | |||
| | url=http://www.pherobase.com/database/species/species-Nasutitermes-graveolus.php | |||
| | accessdate=2006-03-12}}</ref> is native to Australia. | |||
| Around the world, the names of several varieties of foods do, or did, include the words. ] are often referred to as "nigger toes". An ] colloquialism described ]s as "nigger's ]". A popular ] snack in ] is widely known as ''Negerinnetetten'' (negress's tits), it is sold however under the ] ''Melo-cakes''. Another chocolate treat in Holland was until recently called ''Negerzoenen'' (Negro kisses), they are now called ''Buys Zoenen'' (Buys Kisses) after the vendor's name. In ], the traditional treat ] (Negro balls) is now more commonly referred to as Chocolate-, Oat- or Coco balls. | |||
| In April ], there was a stir in ] over the naming of part of a stadium in ], "E.S. Nigger Brown Stand". "Nigger Brown" was the nickname of Toowoomba's first international rugby player. ] used the ] brand "Nigger Brown". The stand was named in the ]. As in the United States some decades ago, the word was used casually by whites, with little thought. Brown himself was happy with the nickname; in fact it is written on his ]. A growing black consciousness among Australia's aboriginal population, however, has meant the term increasingly has become an offensive one, particularly when uttered by whites. | |||
| Australian activist ] took the local council responsible to court over the use of the word. Hagan lost the court case at the district and state level, and the High Court ruled that the matter was beyond federal jurisdiction. The federal government cited the High Court ruling on a lack of federal jurisdiction as its legal justification for continued inaction. (Hagan also has tried changing other supposed racial slurs such as the ] of ].) | |||
| ==Avoiding offense== | |||
| ==="The N-Word"=== | |||
| The ] "the N-word" became a part of the American lexicon during the racially polarizing trial of ], a retired football player charged with -- and ultimately acquitted of -- a widely publicized double murder. One of the prosecution's key witnesses was ] police detective ], who initially denied using racial slurs, but whose prolific and derogatory use of it on a tape recording brought his credibility into question. The recordings were from a session in 1985 that Fuhrman had with ], an aspiring screenwriter working on a screenplay about women in the police force. According to Fuhrman, he was using the word as part of his "bad-cop" persona. | |||
| Members of the media reporting on and discussing his testimony began using the term "the N-word" instead of repeating the actual word, presumably as a way to avoid offending audiences and advertisers. The euphemism was adopted quickly by Americans as a way to avoid uttering one of the most generally offensive words in ]. | |||
| The euphemism is most often used in constructions like: "He called me the N-word", or "I can't believe she said the N-word." (This form mimics other euphemisms for offensive words such as "the F-word" for '']'', "the B-word" for '']'' or "the C-word" for ] or ].) | |||
| More recently the "N-word" has been joined by a similar euphemism suggestive of the potentially explosive nature of the racial epithet: "drop the N-bomb" as in "You didn't need to drop the N-bomb". | |||
| ===Near-]s=== | |||
| The word '''''niger''''' is ] for "black" and occurs in many Latin scientific terms and names. (See ] for other meanings such as the country in Africa.) ''Niger'' is the root for some English words which are near homophones of ''nigger''. | |||
| '']'', which is the way ''Negro'' is pronounced by some people in the ], was considered by some to be a more polite way to refer to a black person. Because of its similarity to the n-word, however, it generally is detested by blacks and is no longer regarded as acceptable. | |||
| The words ''''']''''' ("miserly") and ''''']''''' ("to laugh derisively") do not refer either to black people or to characteristics or behavior attributed to black people, nor do they have any etymological connection with the word. '''''Niggard''''' (a miserly person) and the verb '''''niggle''''' come from the ] verb ''nigla'' -- "to fuss about small things". As such words are easily mistaken for "nigger," their use is frowned upon and sometimes seen as offensive. David Howard, a white city official in ], resigned from his job in January 1999, when he used ''niggardly'' in a fiscal sense while talking with African American colleagues, who took offense at his use of the word. Howard later was reinstated, after the furor subsided. | |||
| ===Revisionist usage=== | |||
| In the United Kingdom, the word was in common use throughout the first half of the twentieth century to denote a shade of dark brown. "Nigger" was famously the name of a ] belonging to the ] ] ] ] ]. The dog died before the ]'s 1943 raid on the ] (the "]"), and "Nigger" was adopted as the radio code word signaling the destruction of the Möhne dam. Because of the modern connotations of the name, the ] ] broadcaster ] now tries to reduce offense by editing out some scenes including the dog when it broadcasts the film '']''. This has been condemned by some as "]", although the edited version apparently produced fewer complaints than a previous uncensored broadcast. However, this scene probably has been viewed more times than any other part of the movie. It was worked into the background of the infamous hotel-room sequence in the ] film '']'', during which the word ''nigger'' can be plainly heard coming from the television. | |||
| ===''<span style="display:none;">"</span>Nigger<span style="display:none;">"</span>'' versus ''<span style="display:none;">"</span>nigga<span style="display:none;">"</span>'': the new revisionism=== | |||
| Since the 1980s, a common argument among some young African Americans and other youth centers on the pronunciation of ''nigger'' as "nigga". ''Nigga'', they contend, is simply a synonym for accepted slang words such as '']'' and '']''. This was the (rejected) argument given by now-infamous secondary English teacher ], who was white, in defending his use of the word to refer to a black student, for which he was given two weeks' suspension without pay. Such use of ''nigga'' is heavily dependent on context. It could be an insult to say, "Hey, you niggaz"; whereas, "What up, my niggaz?" might sometimes be acceptable among blacks only. Also, if a non-black refers to a black person as a "nigga", it is sometimes considered insulting. In the first example, the use of "you guys" is similar to "you people", a phrase often seen as off-putting when used by whites to refer to blacks. The second example is in the African-American tradition of using the word to express kinship or affection. | |||
| Proponents of this neo revisionist usage of the term believe ''nigger'', in its vernacular pronunciation, is harmless. Moreover, many believe it draws a line between blacks as victims of racism and blacks as empowered, street-wise individuals. In an interview in the ] '']'', ] explains, "Niggers was the ones on the rope, hanging off the thing; Niggas is the ones with gold ropes, hanging out at clubs." On the track "Violent," from his 1992 album "2Pacalypse Now," Shakur interprets "nigga" as an acronym standing for "'''N'''ever '''I'''gnorant, '''G'''etting '''G'''oals '''A'''ccomplished." | |||
| Opponents of this view argue that ''nigga'' is simply ''nigger'' pronounced with a southern accent, that the revisionist spelling is merely a phonetic representation of the word as it always has been pronounced in African American Vernacular English and nothing more. ''Nigger'', they point out, is also pronounced "nigga" by many who intend it as a racial slur. While proponents of the neo revisionist use of ''nigga'' contend they have "reclaimed" the word and robbed it of its racist connotations, critics dispute this. They claim such usage has not changed the word's centuries-old, racist nature. African Americans generally never consider the usage acceptable in any context by nonblacks. Usage by members of other ethnic groups is viewed as racist and/or, as with much of nonblack, hip-hop culture, a form of ]. In the film '']'', ] uses the word in one scene; and then in a subsequent scene, when ] repeats Tucker's line in front of a bartender (while affecting an African American dialect), he thus instigates a riot. | |||
| A passage from the ''African American Registry'' echoes this sentiment: | |||
| <blockquote> arguments may not be true to life. Brother (Brotha) and Sister (Sistah or Sista) are terms of endearment. Nigger was and still is a word of disrespect. ...the artificial dichotomy between blacks or African Americans (respectable and middle-class) and niggers (disrespectable and lower class) ought to be challenged. Black is a nigger, regardless of behavior, earnings, goals, clothing, skills, ethics, or skin color. Finally, if continued use of the word lessened its damage, then nigger would not hurt or cause pain now. Blacks, from slavery 'til today, have internalized many negative images that white society cultivated and broadcast about black skin and black people. This is mirrored in cycles of self- and same-race hatred. The use of the word nigger by blacks reflects this hatred, even when the user is unaware of the psychological forces involved. Nigger is the ultimate expression of white racism and white superiority no matter how it is pronounced.</blockquote> | |||
| ==Combinations with other words== | |||
| Within American culture, following the word ''nigger'' with a second word connotes an extremely negative conception of that second word, usually playing to racist stereotypes. Thus, to call someone "]" is to say that they unwisely spend their entire paycheck upon its receipt. To say someone is playing "nigger hockey" implies that they're cheating. To say that something is "nigger-rigged" suggests that it was hastily or carelessly improvised from any available materials. To say that a victory was a "nigger-win" suggests that the victory was not justified and most likely a result of cheating or other forms of illegitimacy. While such phrases are used to describe people of any race, they are nonetheless considered as racist as using the word ''nigger'' by itself. | |||
| ''Nigger-lover'' is a derogatory term used to characterize whites who sympathize with blacks. This term is more commonly used by racist whites against other whites. | |||
| The term '']'', or ''whigger'', refers to a young, white mimicker of certain affectations of hip-hop and ] culture. It is a ] of ''white'' and ''nigger''. The word is widely considered offensive because of its similarity to ''nigger'' and because it reflects stereotypical notions about blacks. | |||
| However, some people have now embraced the usage of the word "wigga." | |||
| Similarly, other portmanteaus formed from ''nigger'', also considered offensive, are used to describe other groups. | |||
| These include combining ''nigger'' with Chinese, to produce ''chigger'', (not to be confused with the ]), with '']'', ''kigger''; and with ''spic'' (a slur for a Latino), to produce ''spigger''. Also to deride those of Mexican descent is the term "taco nigger". The terms ''timber nigger'', ''prairie nigger'', and ''swamp nigger'' are used in some areas to refer to ]s. This term is found more in the northern part of the United States where the original Native Americans flourished in the large forests that once existed there. ''Sand nigger'' refers to those of ] or ] descent, ''snow nigger'' is a slur against those of ] descent, and ''rice nigger'' and ''slant-eyed nigger'' are slurs similarly directed at Asians in general. Those of Irish descent are sometimes referred to as ''potato niggers'', and Germans called ''NigMeisters''. People of Polynesian descent are derisively called ''pineapple niggers''. | |||
| ==References== | |||
| ;Cited references | |||
| <references /> | |||
| ;General references | |||
| *{{cite journal | author=Robert F. Worth | title=Nigger Heaven and the Harlem Renaissance | journal=African American Review | year=Fall 1995 | volume=29 | issue=3 | pages=461–473}} | |||
| *{{Citeencyclopedia | ency=The Oxford English Dictionary | edition=2 | year=1989 | article=nigger}} | |||
| *{{cite book | first=Robert J. | last=Swan | year=2003 | title=New Amsterdam gehenna: segregated death in New York City, 1630-1801 | publisher=Noir Verite Press | location=Brooklyn | id=ISBN 0972281304 }} | |||
| *{{cite book | first=Stephanie | last=Smith | year=2005 | title=Household words: bloomers, sucker, bombshell, scab, nigger, cyber | publisher=University of Missesota Press | location=Minneapolis | id=ISBN 0816645523 }} | |||
| *{{cite book | first=Randall | last=Kennedy | authorlink= | coauthors= | year=2002 | title=] | publisher=Pantheon Books | location=New York | id=ISBN 0375421726 }} | |||
| *{{cite book | first=Neely | last=Fuller | authorlink=Neely Fuller Jr. | year=1984 | title=The united independent compensatory code/system/concept: A textbook/workbook for thought, speech, and/or action, for victims of racism (white supremacy) }} | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| *] | |||
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| *] (distinct from the below) | |||
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| *] — with a discussion of how words can differ in meaning and offensiveness depending on who is using them. | |||
| *] | |||
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| *] | |||
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| == External links == | |||
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