Nigger

Nigger is a slur used against black people. It is often used by racists.

Origin

The word originated as a mispronunciation of the feminine form of the word "negro", which is "negra". In Portuguese, "preto" means the color black and "negro" means black people, but in Spanish, "negro" means both the color black and black people.

History

Before 1865, many black people in the United States were slaves. In this time, "nigger" often meant a slave. Writers like Joseph Conrad, Mark Twain, and Charles Dickens used this word in their books, even in non-racist ways.

In the 21st century, many black people have "taken back" the word niggеr by using It's derivative "nigga". They use it as a slang word. Some groups are trying to make the use of the word "nigga" normal for everyone.

Other slurs


References

Also used in South Park episode “With Apologies to Jesse Jackson” Season 11 Episode 1

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ Pilgrim, David (September 2001). "Nigger and Caricatures". Archived from the original on 2007-06-08. Retrieved 2007-06-19.
  3. ↑ "The Nigger of the "Narcissus" by Joseph Conrad". www.gutenberg.org. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  4. ↑ Twain, Mark (2004). Life on the Mississippi. Kessinger Publishing. p. 11, 13, 127, 139, 219. ISBN 978-1-4191-3041-0.
  5. ↑ "Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg: Dickens and Racism". www.estherlederberg.com. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ McWhorter, John (2016-05-03). "Stop Policing the N-Word". TIME. Archived from the original on 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2025-05-21.