[Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
J Ford
privatejf32 at hotmail.com
Thu Feb 8 16:30:35 PST 2007
Gotta disagree with you here, Tony; each of the following come down to one
thing...it is a RACIAL SLUR:
Usage note: The term nigger is probably the most offensive word in English.
Its degree of offensiveness has increased markedly in recent years, although
it has been used in a derogatory manner since at least the Revolutionary
War. Definitions 1a, 1b, and 2 represent meanings that are deeply
disparaging and are used when the speaker deliberately wishes to cause great
offense. Definition 1a, however, is sometimes used among African-Americans
in a neutral or familiar way. Definition 3 is not normally considered
disparaging—as in “The Irish are the niggers of Europe” from Roddy Doyle's
The Commitments—but the other uses are considered contemptuous and hostile.
–noun
1. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.
a. a black person.
b. a member of any dark-skinned people.
2. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a person of any race or
origin regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.
3. a victim of prejudice similar to that suffered by blacks; a person who is
economically, politically, or socially disenfranchised.
[Origin: 1640–50; < F nègre < Sp negro black]
nigger
1786, earlier neger (1568, Scot. and northern England dialect), from Fr.
nËgre, from Sp. negro (see Negro). From the earliest usage it was "the term
that carries with it all the obloquy and contempt and rejection which whites
have inflicted on blacks" [cited in Gowers, 1965]. But as black inferiority
was at one time a near universal assumption in Eng.-speaking lands, the word
in some cases could be used without insult. More sympathetic writers late
18c. and early 19c. seem to have used black (n.) and, after the American
Civil War, colored person. Also applied by Eng. settlers to dark-skinned
native peoples in India, Australia, Polynesia. The reclamation of the word
as a neutral or positive term in black culture, often with a suggestion of
"soul" or "style," is attested first in the Amer. South, later (1968) in the
Northern, urban-based Black Power movement. Variant niggah, attested from
1925 (without the -h, from 1969), is found usually in situations where
blacks use the word. Nigra (1944), on the other hand, reflects a
pronunciation in certain circles of Negro, but meant to suggest nigger, and
is thus deemed (according to a 1960 slang dictionary) "even more derog. than
'nigger.' " Slang phrase nigger in the woodpile attested by 1800; "A mode of
accounting for the disappearance of fuel; an unsolved mystery" [R.H.
Thornton, "American Glossary," 1912]. Nigger heaven, "the top gallery in a
(segregated) theater" first attested 1878 in ref. to Troy, N.Y.
" 'You're a fool nigger, and the worst day's work Pa ever did was to buy
you,' said Scarlett slowly. ... There, she thought, I've said 'nigger' and
Mother wouldn't like that at all." [Margaret Mitchell, "Gone With the Wind,"
1936]
Used in combinations (e.g. nigger-brown, nigger-head, nigger-toe) since
1840s for various dark brown or black hues or objects; euphemistic
substitutions (e.g. Zulu) began to appear in these senses c.1917.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
nigger
noun
(ethnic slur) extremely offensive name for a Black person; "only a Black can
call another Black a nigga"
WordNet® 2.1, © 2005 Princeton University
Etymology and history
Main article: Negro
The Spanish word negro originates from the Latin word niger, meaning black.
In English, negro or neger became negar and finally nigger, most likely
under influence of French nègre (also derived from the Latin niger).
In Colonial America, Neger (sometimes spelled "neggar") prevailed in
northern New York under the Dutch and also in Philadelphia, in its Moravian
and Pennsylvania Dutch communities. For example, the African Burial Ground
in New York City was originally known as "Begraaf Plaats van de Neger."
In the United States, the word nigger was not always considered derogatory,
but was used by some as merely denotative of black, as it was in other parts
of the English-speaking world. In nineteenth-century literature, there are
many uses of the word nigger with no intended negative connotation. Charles
Dickens, and Joseph Conrad (who published The Nigger of the 'Narcissus' in
1897) used the word without racist intent. Mark Twain often put the word
into the mouths of his Southern characters, white and black, but did not use
the word when speaking in his own voice in his autobiographical Life on the
Mississippi.
In the UK and other parts of the English-speaking world, the word was often
used to refer to people of Pakistani or Indian descent, or merely to
darker-skinned foreigners in general; in his 1926 Modern English Usage, H.
W. Fowler observed that when the word was applied to "others than full or
partial negroes," it was "felt as an insult by the person described, &
betrays in the speaker, if not deliberate insolence, at least a very
arrogant inhumanity." The note was excised from later editions of the book.
The perception of the term nigger as derogatory is no doubt related to the
fact that the black people were a race regarded by many white people of the
time as inferior, lazy, simian in appearance, stupid, and criminally
inclined.
In the 1800s, as nigger began to acquire the pejorative connotation it holds
today, the term "Colored" gained popularity as a kinder alternative to negro
and associated terms. For example, abolitionists in Boston, Massachusetts
posted warnings to "Colored People of Boston and vicinity." The name of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People reflects the
preference for this term at the time of the NAACP's founding in 1909.
Southern dialect in many parts of the southern United States changes the
pronunciation of "Negro" to "nigra" (used most famously by Lyndon B.
Johnson, a proponent of civil rights).
Black became the preferred term in English in the late 1960s, and this
continues to the present day. In the United States this has been displaced
to some extent by African American, at least in politically correct usage;
this resembles the term Afro-American that was in vogue in the early 1970s.
Nevertheless, black continues in widespread use as a racial designation in
the US and is rarely regarded as offensive.
Today the word is occasionally spelled nigguh or even nikuh in imitation of
some speakers' pronunciation. However, the forms nigga and niggah are far
more common alternatives. Other variations designed to avoid the term itself
include nookah, nukka, nagger and the much older "*jigger."
In the United States
In the United States, the word was freely used by some whites and blacks,
until the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s. It seems that the word acquired a
pejorative meaning in the Northern United States before aquiring the same
connotation in the South.
Louisiana Governor Earl Long 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 white Southerners, as it was a
common regional term for blacks, along with negro and colored.
Today, the implied racism of the term is so strong that the use of nigger in
most situations is a social taboo 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." However, some
African Americans use the word as a term of endearment and familiarity (see
nigga, hip hop culture).
A Washington Post article on Strom Thurmond's 1948 candidacy for President
of the United States went so far as to replace it with the periphrasis "the
less-refined word for black people." The word was also completely excised
from the Microsoft Encarta dictionary, despite its common usage.
The shock effect of the word can also be used to deliberately cause offense.
Several activists, such as Dick Gregory, have said the use of "N-word"
instead of "nigger" robs younger generations of the full history of black
people in America.
The term nigger has sometimes been extended in meaning so as to refer to all
disadvantaged people. For example, Ron Dellums, an American politician, once
said that "it's time for somebody to lead all of America's niggers".[1]
In Australia and New Zealand
In Australia, although in general the word is perfectly well understood to
refer to black people, it is now rarely used by urban light skinned people
in any context; when referring to indigenous Australians, the casual terms
Abo and the more derogatory boong or 'coon' are used in its place. "Nigger"
is sometimes used amongst working class Australians, when used in a casual
sense between friends or work colleagues of both white and mixed race. It is
generally used in the emulation of American slang, e.g. "Wassup my nigger".
Black, Aboriginal or Maori people may use the term to greet each other.
Australians, black or white, do not on the whole have the same sensitivity
to the word as Americans, at least when it is used in a lighthearted,
non-derogatory fashion among established groups of friends. It would not be
acceptable to use the term to a stranger or casual acquaintance. The relaxed
attitide is mainly because there was no direct slave trading or slave use in
Australia per se, as the country was built on the exploitation of European
convict labour. The mistreatment, and genocide, of the indigenous people is
generally covered under the term of "racial abuse" rather than "slavery";
however, the increasing use of American vernacular has sensitised
conservative Australia to its use.
However, nigger 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 (cf. Rudyard Kipling). This has led to
controversy, since Australian Aborigines have started to take the term
strongly to heart, in both the pejorative and revisionist senses (see below
under Names of places and things).
In neighboring New Zealand the term has been used infrequently to refer to
the Māori people as well (Simpson, 1989), but the word Māori
itself is often used as a derogatory adjective, much the way nigger is used
in the US.
Other Languages
In various Romance languages, including the Spanish and Portuguese dialects
used in Latin American and parts of Africa, a variety of words cognate with
the Latin niger and sounding similar to the English word nigger are used
without the disparaging connotation the word holds in English.
Interestingly, in some places these words refer to people with an only
slightly darker appearance than those native to Northern Europe, i.e. people
who might be said to have a typically Mediterranean or Southern European
appearance without any facial or hair-texture characteristics associated
with black people.
Cognates of the Latin niger that refer to people exist in other languages as
well, many of them devoid of a negative connotation.
Non-human uses
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."
Similarly, when performing shoddy but functional work, one is said to
"nigger rig it," especially when duct tape is used in place of proper
equipment. It seems that this usage is taken directly from the derogatory
use of the word to refer to a black person. "Nigger it up" has been used to
refer to excessively gaudy, non-functional decorations to automobiles to
attract attention.
The term nigger was used in lumber mills until the mid-point of the 20th
century. It refers to a device that turns a log while it is being stripped
of its bark. This may be an off-hand reference to the prejudicial use of the
word, as until the machine was invented, this was considered a job too
dangerous for anyone other than a black man.
Literary uses
Nigger has a long history of controversy in literature. Carl Van Vechten, a
white photographer and writer famous as a supporter of the Harlem
Renaissance, provoked debate and some protest from the African American
community by titling his 1926 novel Nigger Heaven. The controversy centered
on the use of the word in the title and fueled the sales of the hit novel.
Of the controversy, Langston Hughes wrote:
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 Black culture and its
White patrons.
The famous controversy over Mark Twain's novel Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn (1885), a classic frequently taught in American schools, revolves
largely around the novel's 215 uses of the word, often referring to Nigger
Jim, Huck's raft mate.[2][3]
Nigger in the Window is a book written by a young black girl who describes
the world from her window.[4]
Slaves often pandered to racist assumptions by using the word "nigger" to
their advantage in the self-deprecatory artifice of Tomming.[5] Implicit was
an unspoken reminder that a presumably 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 Edgar
Allan Poe's short story The Gold Bug (1843). The narrator and a white
character in the story use negro to refer to a black servant, Jupiter, while
Jupiter himself uses nigger.[6][7]
Bram Stoker, the Irish author best known for Dracula, frequently makes use
of the word in his 1911 novel, The Lair of the White Worm. Edgar Caswall's
African servant, Oolanga, is often referred to as a "nigger" throughout the
book.[8]
Agatha Christie's novel And Then There Were None, also known as Ten Little
Indians, originally appeared as Ten Little Niggers. Among the classic novels
of Joseph Conrad (famous for his use of the word in Heart of Darkness) is
The Nigger of the 'Narcissus' (1897).
Harper Lee's 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, also uses the term "nigger"
throughout showing the widespread use during the 1930s.
Other examples of literary usage in the United Kingdom 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.
The Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Mikado uses the word "nigger" two
times. The executioner Ko-ko, in his song "I have a little list", sings of
killing "the nigger serenader and the others of his race" (this is generally
understood to mean white performers performing minstrel songs in blackface,
a popular Victorian entertainment). The Mikado, in his song “Let the
Punishment fit the Crime”, sings of having overly-made-up society ladies
“Blacked like a nigger/ With permanent walnut juice”. Both lyrics are
frequently changed in performance nowadays.[9]
The Scarlet Pimpernel contains a black character referred to casually as a
“nigger”, in a way which suggests no serious insult is intended.
In one John Buchan novel the hero goes into a night club in the early 1920s,
where “a rather good nigger band” is playing.
P.G. Wodehouse's Thank You, Jeeves has Bertie Wooster mention that he would
like to practice the banjo with a "troupe of nigger minstrels".
It has been suggested that the USA usage became more prevalent in the UK
during and after the Second World War. Whether this is through contact with
American troops or whether it reflects a growing racism in UK society is
open to question. [citation needed]
War Comes to Willy Freeman by James Collier and Christopher Collier (ISBN
0-440-49504-0) 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.
Rudyard Kipling's Just So Story "How the Leopard Got His Spots" tells of how
an Ethiopian and a leopard, 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."
At one time, the word was used freely in branding and packaging of consumer
commodities in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. There were brands such as
Nigger Hair Tobacco, Niggerhead Oysters, and other canned goods. Brazil nuts
were, and still are, 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.[10][11]
In the 1954 film The Dambusters, Wing Commander Guy Gibson's dog was called
Nigger (as in real life). This has been edited out of recent British TV
screenings.
The comedian and activist Dick Gregory used the word as the title of his
best-selling autobiography in 1964.
In 1967, Muhammad Ali 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,'".
In 1972, John Lennon released a song, "Woman is the Nigger of the World".
The song advocated a pro-feminist stance - and used the word "nigger" to
convey how poorly Lennon felt that women were treated in society. Lennon's
use of the word in this particular context was endorsed by some prominent
Black American leaders.
During the same year, Curtis Mayfield used the word in the first verse of
"Pusherman" (a hit song from the Superfly soundtrack).
When it was translated into English, the 1968 book Les Nègres blancs de
l'Amérique by Pierre Vallières, a founding member of the FLQ terrorist
group, was published under the title White Niggers of America.
British punk rock pioneer Elvis Costello used the term in one lyric of
"Oliver's Army", from the album Armed Forces. This usage - 'One more widow,
one less white nigger' - has aired uncensored on several music programs and
networks, such as MTV and VH1.
Jewish comedian Lenny Bruce used the word repeatedly in a comedy routine,
suggesting that the more it was used and heard, the less potency it would
have.
Richard Pryor, whose albums included That Nigger's Crazy and Bicentennial
Nigger, vowed to never again use the word after a trip to Africa in the
1980s. Commenting that he never saw any niggers while in Africa, Pryor said
he realized that niggers were figments of white people's imaginations.
Hip-hop group N.W.A.
Hip-hop group N.W.A.
In 1988, hip hop group N.W.A. ("Niggaz With Attitude") released the album
Straight Outta Compton. 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 hip hop. Today, the
word is used frequently by black rappers in casual contexts [12]. Not all
black hiphop acts appreciate the increased use of the word, however; Public
Enemy plainly state on the fifth track of Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes
Black, "I don't wanna be called 'Yo Nigga'". The usage is parodied in the
1994 film Fear of a Black Hat, a mockumentary about a ficticious rap group
named "N.W.H", or "Niggaz With Hats" (the title of the movie itself being a
play on Public Enemy's album Fear of a Black Planet).
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 Beastie Boys, an all-white hip-hop group, left the
stage mid-performance after a friendly but ill-received use of the word to
refer to their audience. [1]
In 2001, Latina performer Jennifer Lopez provoked the ire of the African
American community when she used the word in a song written by two black
songwriters.[citation needed]Patti Smith released the song "Rock 'n' Roll
Nigger" in 1978. Marilyn Manson covered the song in 1995 and later used the
word in their own song, "Irresponsible Hate Anthem."
The Dead Kennedys (whose drummer was black) say nigger in their song
"Holiday in Cambodia," by saying, "acting like you know how the niggers feel
cold and the slums got so much soul."
MDC (aka Millions of Dead Cops) use nigger in their song "Dead Cops,"
saying, "hunting for queers, niggers, and you".
British anarcho-punk band Crass in "White Punks on Hope" say, "If you care
to take a closer look at the way things really stand, you'll see we're all
just niggers to the rulers of this land."
The word nigga has been used by non-black latino rappers such as Big Pun,
Cuban Link, Fat Joe, Pitbull and other latin artists demonstrating the
growing acceptance of the use of the word by latinos [12]
African American comedian Chris Rock's 1996 television special Bring the
Pain and 1997 album Roll with the New included a segment known as "Niggas vs
Black People". Rock cast "niggas" as "low-expectation-havin'" individuals -
proud to be ignorant, violent, and on welfare. The controversy surrounding
this, to which many took exception because they felt it pandered to racism,
was such that Rock ceased performing it.[citation needed]
White American comedian George Carlin had a routine concerning sensitive
words. "We don't mind when Richard Pryor or Eddie Murphy uses it," he quips.
"Why? Because we know they're not racists. They're niggers!" Carlin also
comments that nigger is simply a word, and it is the context in which it is
used that makes it offensive.[13]
In a famous skit on Saturday Night Live, Chevy Chase and Pryor portray a job
interview devolving into racial name-calling on both sides, with Pryor
calling Chase "honky" several times; when Chase says "nigger", Pryor
responds with "dead honky".
Television broadcasts of the film Die Hard with a Vengeance which originally
featured a white character (played by Bruce Willis) being placed in jeopardy
when forced to carry a sign saying "I hate niggers" around Harlem, are
altered so that the sign now says "I hate everybody" [citation needed].
The comedy series All in the Family is rarely censored even though the
"N-word" is used frequently.
In the first season of African-American comedian Dave Chappelle's,
Chappelle's 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, after learning the truth, comments that he left his
wife because she is a "nigger-lover". The second season of the Dave
Chappelle show featured the sketch "The Niggar Family", a portrayal of a
1950s 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)
In the 1987 novel The Commitments, an Irish fan of soul music characterizes
the Irish as "the niggers of Europe" and Dubliners as "the niggers of
Ireland", finishing by quoting James Brown's words "Say it loud, I'm black
and I'm proud". In the 1991 film adaptation, the speech was altered,
referring to Irish as "the blacks of Europe", etc.
In the controversial animated series The Boondocks, the word "Nigga" is used
by the main characters and sometimes others. In one scene, Granddad tells
Huey not to use the word in his house and Huey reminds him that he himself
used the word 46 times the day before. Granddad's reply is "Nigga hush!". In
the same episode, a drunk Uncle Ruckus sings a song entitled "Don't Trust
Those New Niggas Over There". Afterwards, there is a short clip with two
non-black characters, one of whom says "I think it's OK if they say it." The
show also makes note of "Nigga Moments", where a 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 Martin Luther King
Jr.[14]
Actor Damon Wayans of the Wayans Brothers tried in 2005 to trademark the
word "Nigga" for use on clothing, books and other merchandise.[citation
needed] His application was rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office, 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.[citation needed]
In the 2005 film Be Cool, the leader of the Russian Mafia tells Sin LaSalle
(Cedric the Entertainer) to "Be cool, nigger!" Then, Daboo (Andre 3000)
whispers "Nigger?". At this point, LaSalle launches into a long lecture on
how only truly ignorant people use the term to disrespect someone's race.
In the movie "Malibu's Most Wanted", Jamie Kennedy's character "B-Rad" uses
the term "nigger" in front of an all-black crowd at a rap-off. The next
sound that is heard is a phonograph needle being dragged to a screaming halt
on the current record that's playing.
There are multiple uses of the word in Mel Brooks's comedy, Blazing Saddles.
One example is when the people of Rock Ridge plan to kill their new sheriff,
who is black. The sheriff, played by Cleavon Little, pulls a gun on himself
and in a faux Southern voice says, "Hold it! Nobody move or the nigger gets
it!"
In Quentin Tarantino's film, Pulp Fiction, there are uses of the word by
both black and white characters. In one instance, Tarantino, playing the
character Jimmie, asks a bloodied Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta if
they saw a sign outside his house that said 'Dead Nigger Storage' because
they had brought a dead black man to his house in their car. He sardonically
reminds the hitmen that they did not see such a sign because storing dead
niggers was not his business.
In the 1998 movie Rush Hour, Jackie Chan's character (a Chinese detective
with very limited English-language ability) hears several black characters
address each other as "my nigger". Trying to be friendly, he greets someone
with "What's up, my nigger?", provoking a barroom brawl.
In 2006, comedian Michael Richards stirred controversy with a racist rant
utilizing 'nigger' in a Los Angeles nightclub.1 See: Michael Richards Laugh
Factory incident
Comedians Andy Dick and Damon Wayans were two other comedians cited for
their use of the word.3
In 2006 comedian Reginald D Hunter had a show at the Edinburgh Fringe
Festival called Pride & Prejudice & Niggers.
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 Nigger Bill Canyon,
Nigger Hollow, and Niggertown Marsh. In 1967, the United States Board on
Geographic Names 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 Burnet, Texas. 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 Civil Rights Movement 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 Lady Bird Johnson, 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 reflect 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. There was also a "Dead Nigger Creek" in
central Texas that changed its name to "Dead Negro Creek".
"Nigger Nate Grade" in Temecula, California was named after former slave and
early settler Nate Harrison, but was changed in 1955 due to a request by the
NAACP and renamed to Nate Harrison Grade.[15]
A point on the Lower Mississippi River 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 West Baton Rouge
Parish, is now known as Wilkinson Point.[16] The geographic coordinates are
30.5126893° N 91.2126084° W.
A jagged rock formation resembling a silhouetted human face protruding from
a cliff over highway 421 north of Pennington Gap, Virginia 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 bollard, 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
coral head a niggerhead. The latter are notorious as navigation hazards.
Many varieties of flora and fauna commonly are still referred to by terms
which include the word. The nigger-head cactus, which is native to Arizona,
is round, the size of a cabbage, and covered with large, crooked thorns. The
colloquial name for echinacea, or coneflower, is, variously, "Kansas
niggerhead" or "wild niggerhead". The "niggerhead termite"(Nasutitermes
graveolus)[17] is native to Australia.
Around the world, the names of several varieties of foods do, or did,
include the words. Brazil nuts are often referred to as "nigger toes". An
Irish colloquialism described prunes as "nigger's knackers". A popular
chocolate snack in Belgium is widely known as Negerinnetetten (negress's
tits), however it is sold under the trademark Melo-cakes. Another chocolate
treat in Holland was until recently called Negerzoenen (Negro kisses), but
is now called Buys Zoenen (Buys Kisses) after the vendor's name. In Sweden,
the traditional treat Negerbollar (Negro balls) is now more commonly
referred to as Chocolate-, Oat- or Coco-balls.
In April 2003, there was a stir in Australia over the naming of part of a
stadium in Toowoomba, "E.S. Nigger Brown Stand". "Nigger Brown" was the
nickname of Toowoomba's first international rugby player. Edward Stanley
Brown used the shoe polish brand "Nigger Brown". The stand was named in the
1960s. 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,
and in fact it is written on his tombstone. A growing black consciousness
among Australia's aboriginal population, however, has led to the term being
considered increasingly offensive, particularly when uttered by whites.
Australian activist Stephen Hagan took the responsible local council 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 Coon
brand of cheese.)
General John Pershing is remembered by the nickname "Black Jack", which was
coined by World War I reporters who couldn't print his actual nickname
"Nigger Jack".[2]
Ethnic Qualifiers
Qualifiers may also be added as a prefix to denote inferiority of the
recipient person or group. In conjunction with the original pejorative, the
new phrase is also considered to be just as offensive as the original.
Examples include "sand nigger" (Middle-Eastern), "taco nigger" (Hispanics),
"rice nigger" (Asian), "spaghetti nigger" (Italian), and "prairie nigger"
(American Indian).
Avoiding offense
"The N-Word"
The euphemism "the N-word" became a part of the American lexicon during the
racially polarizing trial of O.J. Simpson, a retired football player charged
with -- and ultimately acquitted of -- a widely publicized double murder.
One of the prosecution's key witnesses was Los Angeles police detective Mark
Fuhrman, 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
Laura McKinney, 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.
Acclaim comic book Quantum and Woody features a masked African-American
(Quantum) teamed up with an unmasked white man (Woody). One issue featured a
character who referred to everyone as "nigger," but fearing backlash, the
first 2 pages of the comic are an announcement/disclaimer that throughout
the issue, the "N-word" would be replaced by "noogie," and the "S-word"
would be replaced by "S-word." This announcement, which breaks the fourth
wall, featured Acclaim's lawyer and also stated that, "the word comes from
the problem, not the other way around."
Near-homophones
The word niger is Latin for "black" and occurs in many Latin scientific
terms and names. (See Niger for other meanings such as the country in
Africa.) Niger is the root for some English words which are near homophones
of nigger. Some sellers of niger seed, a small black seed commonly used as
wild bird feed, have begun to sell it under the name Nyjer seed, in part to
avoid the common mispronunciation. Also, the Classical Latin pronunciation
/niˈgeɾ/ is uncomfortably close to the English
/ˈnɪ.gə(ɹ)/. The situation is not the same with Church
Latin pronunciation, /niˈdʒeɾ/.
Nigra, which is the way Negro is pronounced by some people in the American
South, 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 is generally
detested by blacks and is no longer regarded as acceptable.
The words niggardly ("miserly") and snigger ("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) is related to Old Norse nig, "stingy," and the
verb niggle is most likely derived from from the Old Norse verb nigla -- "to
chew, gnaw, or potter at". As such words are easily mistaken for "nigger,"
their use is frowned upon by some and sometimes seen as offensive. David
Howard, a white city official in Washington, D.C., resigned from his job in
January 1999, when he used niggardly in a fiscal sense while talking with
black colleagues, who took offense at his use of the word. After reviewing
the incident, Washington Mayor Anthony Williams offered Howard his job back.
Howard declined that position but accepted another position in the Mayor's
administration. [3]
The word wigger is a portmanteau combining the words white and nigger
generally used to describe a young, white mimicker of certain affectations
of hip hop and thug culture.
A colloquialism in the British music industry for a freeloader is the word
"ligger" (one who seeks to attend concerts and music industry events without
paying). The word derives from another colloquialism lig (a gig or event)
and variations therof "to go ligging" (to go to a series of events.) In
other words - the term "ligger" evolved as a derivative of the other words
rooted in the word "lig" and NOT as a variant of "nigger". However - the
fact that it is a "near-homophone" of the word "nigger" has led to it being
less used.
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 Black Labrador [4] belonging to the RAF Second World
War hero Wing Commander Guy Gibson. The dog died before the 617 Squadron's
1943 raid on the Ruhr dams (the "Dam Busters raid"), 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 British television
broadcaster ITV now tries to reduce offense by editing out some scenes
including the dog when it broadcasts the film Dam Busters. This has been
condemned by some as "revisionist", 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 watched by Pink (Bob Geldof) in the hotel-room sequence in the
Pink Floyd film The Wall, during which the dialogue relevant to the dog's
death is screened.
Nigga
Main article: Nigga
Historically, nigger has been used self-referentially by many in the African
American community. With the rise in popularity of rap and hip-hop, the term
has become more widely used among some black youth and among some non-blacks
as well. This neo revisionist usage, particularly among non-blacks, has been
the source of considerable controversy. In such applications, the word often
is spelled phonetically as it is pronounced in African American Vernacular
English and in Southern American English. In an interview in the documentary
Tupac: Resurrection, Tupac Shakur claims that there is a distinction;
"Niggers was the ones on the rope, hanging off the thing; niggas is the ones
with gold ropes, hanging out at clubs." [sic]
A passage from the African American Registry argues:
Neo revisionist arguments for the use of "nigga" 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.
H. Lewis Smith, author of Bury that Sucka: A Scandalous Affair with the
N-word, concurs.
"ER" to the "A", this is one excuse that would insult the intelligence
of a sixth grader. Brother or brotha, sister or sista, n***er or n***a, all
have two common denominators. First, they came about as the result of a
ghetto vernacular. Second, replacing the "er" with an "a" changes nothing
other than the pronunciation
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."
Similarly, when performing shoddy but functional work, one is said to
"nigger rig it," especially when duct tape is used in place of proper
equipment. It seems that this usage is taken directly from the derogatory
use of the word to refer to a black person. "Nigger it up" has been used to
refer to excessively gaudy, non-functional decorations to automobiles to
attract attention.
The term nigger was used in lumber mills until the mid-point of the 20th
century. It refers to a device that turns a log while it is being stripped
of its bark. This may be an off-hand reference to the prejudicial use of the
word, as until the machine was invented, this was considered a job too
dangerous for anyone other than a black man.
J :]
>From: "Tony" <tonytime at clearwire.net>
>To: "david sarff" <davesway at hotmail.com>
>CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
>Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 15:49:17 -0800
>
>A critical distinction: One can use a term others regard as inflamatory
>toward a race of people, without himself intending to cast aspersions on
>that group as a whole. Perhaps one finds the bombing of woman and children
>as well as the be-heading of terrified innocent captives abhorant, and
>finds
>that such perpetrators invariably wear head scarves. It is not entirely
>inconcievable that he might then use the term RAGHEAD in reference to these
>beasts who kill good people and kids, not in reference to their race, but
>out of a justified outrage over their BEHAVIOR. Such a scenario will
>frequently cause those hearing such commentary to conclude the
>writer/speaker is racist, ignorant as they are of his specific, non-racial,
>rather, behavioral based criticism.
>
>Therefore, Sunil, if an African American had be-headed Daniel Pearle, and
>another had criticised the killer as a miserable nigger, the other would be
>guilty of using a term most folks would regard as referencing the
>perpetrator's race. However, for reasons stated above, the other could
>actually harbor NO RACIAL intent whatsoever, but himself be referencing the
>perp's atrocious behavior.
>
>Now, Sunil, you have the information you need to avoid making anymore
>erroneous postings as to my motives.
>
>Cheers, -T
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "david sarff" <davesway at hotmail.com>
>To: <jampot at adelphia.net>; <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com>
>Cc: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 2:53 PM
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
>
>
> >
> >>Hi Gary,
> > It seems to me there is a difference between cultivating hate and
> > expressing
> > situational anger. Cultivating kindness, a higher order art. In my
>opinion
> > a
> > better route to an improved humanity. Not easy for a lot of us.
> > I don't see you as a hate cultivator, in fact it seems you might even be
> > trying to make efforts against it in concentrated areas.
> > In this situation and others similar to it, I think you miss-measured
> > Sue's
> > reaction. It was situational in reaction to a clear practitioner of hate
> > cultivation. Can she do better, you bet. Your knowing that, taking the
> > grain
> > of truth in her grain of fault and hyper-inflating it, is a bully's
> > support
> > group method. This technique is not a strength for anybody.
> > I agree with Sunil's response, but in light of your effort here, wonder
>if
> > you might be amenable to exploring your examples a bit.
> > Recently, comedian Michael Richards made a lot of trouble for himself
> > using
> > the N word. I suspect you are familiar with that news line. Do you think
> > Richard made a forgivable mistake? Is there something there that he
>needs
> > to
> > remediate within himself?
> > Dave
> >
> >
> >>Gary,
> >>
> >>So if an African-American killed the same person in the manner you
> >>describe,
> >>the statement "That miserable nigger just cut the head off of a American
> >>non-combatant," would not be racist?
> >>
> >>You're right, I don't like or agree with your rationale.
> >>
> >>I think it's a mistake to link emotion with the use of racist language
>or
> >>attitudes. Racist decisions and statements are easily made in the
>absence
> >>of emotion; I think they're the results of attitudes developed over a
> >>lifetime and ingrained in cultures and individual people. I don't think
> >>any
> >>particular 'race' or group has a monopoly on racism. I know I've often
> >>heard racist statements expresses as casually as a request for a drink
>of
> >>water. There's no requirement for actions as you suggest; statements
> >>express one's views quite effectively.
> >>
> >>Sunil
> >>
> >>
> >> >From: "g. crabtree" <jampot at adelphia.net>
> >> >To: "Sunil Ramalingam" <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com>
> >> >CC: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> >> >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
> >> >Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 07:12:39 -0800
> >> >
> >> >Well Sunil, since you insist on trying to chase me out onto a thin
>limb,
> >> >I'll give you my take on comments such as the one you refer to. You
> >> >won't
> >> >like or agree with it, I suspect, but here goes. Please bare in mind
> >> >that
> >>I
> >> >speak for myself and not anyone else to who you might attribute a lack
> >> >of
> >> >sensitivity.
> >> >
> >> >When someone makes a remark like "All ragheads are vermin and have no
> >>right
> >> >to live" it is inexcusably racist and deserves to be denounced at
>every
> >> >possible turn.
> >> >
> >> >When someone says "That miserable raghead just cut the head off of a
> >> >American non-combatant," it is a minor lapse of manner(s) or tact.
> >> >Unfortunate but, forgivable. Not, in my opinion, an indication of
>racism
> >> >per se.
> >> >
> >> >In the first you are calmly stating your contemptible and
>unsupportable
> >> >opinion of a large group/race of people. In the second you are
> >> >expressing
> >> >your anger and frustration at an individual or small group of proven
> >> >evil
> >> >doers with language that is intemperate and poorly chosen.
> >> >
> >> >Racism is, in my opinion, demonstrated by actions. It is hinted at,
> >> >sometimes incorrectly, by individual words.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >I hope that this does not change your opinion of my fitness as company
> >> >on
> >> >the list.
> >> >
> >> >g
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >----- Original Message -----
> >> >From: "Sunil Ramalingam" <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com>
> >> >Cc: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> >> >Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 9:31 PM
> >> >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > > Gary,
> >> > >
> >> > > Are racist slurs minor lapses of manner or tact?
> >> > >
> >> > > I hope this question isn't considered trash talk, or 'self
>righteous,
> >> >self
> >> > > satisfied, school yard sputtering,' though you may well consider me
> >> > > an
> >> > > additional player; happy to have you as company on that list.
> >> > >
> >> > > Sunil
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >>From: "g. crabtree" <jampot at adelphia.net>
> >> > >>To: <debismith at moscow.com>, <suehovey at moscow.com>,
> >> ><vision2020 at moscow.com>
> >> > >>CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
> >> > >>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
> >> > >>Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2007 20:07:27 -0800
> >> > >>
> >> > >>Extremely interesting. Should someone from the mildly conservative
> >>side
> >> >of
> >> > >>the fence have a minor lapse of manners or tact, the squealing and
> >> > >>castigation rises to a level at which our canine friends experience
> >> > >>profound and lasting aural pain.
> >> > >>
> >> > >>But on the other hand it's OK to demean the offender with a level
>of
> >> > >>calumny several orders of magnitude greater then anything
>originally
> >> >said.
> >> > >>I mean really, when you feel you have to resort to not so subtly
> >>calling
> >> > >>someone's mother a bitch along with the silly BS in the post to
>which
> >> >I'm
> >> > >>responding, you really have to wonder If Ms. Hovey, Ms. R-S, Mr.
>Fox,
> >> >and
> >> > >>the rest of the usual suspects have any sense of irony at all.
>Double
> >> > >>standard risen to the power of hypocritical joke. What's even
>funnier
> >>is
> >> > >>that this communication will likely raise the trash talk to the
>next
> >> >level
> >> > >>as well as spread it to additional players. Who needs comedy
>central
> >> >when
> >> > >>we've got the V.
> >> > >>
> >> > >>Commence self righteous, self satisfied, school yard sputtering,
> >> > >>g
> >> > >>
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > =======================================================
> >> > > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> >> > > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> >> > > http://www.fsr.net
> >> > > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> >> > > =======================================================
> >> > >
> >>
> >>
> >>=======================================================
> >> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> >> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> >> http://www.fsr.net
> >> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> >>=======================================================
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Check out all that glitters with the MSN Entertainment Guide to the
> > Academy
> > Awards® http://movies.msn.com/movies/oscars2007/?icid=ncoscartagline2
> >
> >
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> > =======================================================
> > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > http://www.fsr.net
> > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> > =======================================================
>
>
>=======================================================
> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> http://www.fsr.net
> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>=======================================================
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