Nigger
Nigger is a racist insult used to black people. People who think their group is better than black people often use it.[1]
Origin
[change | change source]The word comes from a slang way to say "negro". In Spanish and Portuguese, “negro” means the color black and means black people.[2]
History
[change | change source]Before 1865, most black people in the United States were slaves. In this time, “nigger” often meant a slave. Writers like Joseph Conrad,[3] Mark Twain,[4] and Charles Dickens[5] used this word in their books.
In the late 20th century, “nigger” became a hurtful racial slur. It was called hate speech. It was very offensive to say. Many people stopped saying it. They say “the n-word” instead.
Some black people use the word without meaning to hurt others. More black people say nigga instead because it is less insulting. Nigga can also be called “the n-word”. “Nigger” can be called the “hard-R” to show it is different from nigga.
In the 21st century, many black people have “taken back” the word niggеr. They use it as a slang word.[6] Some groups tried to make using niggеr normal for everyone.[7]
Related pages
[change | change source]- Racism
- Discrimination
- Jim Crow laws
- African Americans
- Racial segregation
- History of racial segregation in the United States
Other slurs
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- ↑ Starkey, Brando Simeo (18 May 2017). "If you truly knew what the N-word meant to our ancestors, you'd NEVER use it". The Undefeated.
- ↑ Pilgrim, David (September 2001). "Nigger and Caricatures". Retrieved 2007-06-19.
- ↑ "The Nigger of the "Narcissus" by Joseph Conrad". www.gutenberg.org. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
- ↑ Twain, Mark (2004). Life on the Mississippi. Kessinger Publishing. p. 11, 13, 127, 139, 219. ISBN 978-1-4191-3041-0.
- ↑ "Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg: Dickens and Racism". www.estherlederberg.com. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
- ↑ Allan, Keith (2016). "Contextual determinants on the meaning of the N word". SpringerPlus. 5 (1): 1141. doi:10.1186/s40064-016-2813-1. ISSN 2193-1801. PMC 4954799. PMID 27504239.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ↑ McWhorter, John (2016-05-03). "Stop Policing the N-Word". TIME. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
