| GotchayeX said: But it's not an obvious abbreviation of the word. There needs to be a distinction between bad words and words that are put to bad ends. Various words (nigger, chink, cracker) are bad in and of themselves. The words don't bear any resemblance to the name or a characteristic of the group they describe and have no real use other than to insult. There exist other perfectly uncontroversial names for these groups. Others retain legitimate uses as shorthand. 'Black' remains a generally acceptable way to refer to people of African descent. Likewise 'white' for Caucasians. These words are not meant in a derogatory fashion and are used merely to save space. While someone could certainly use the word 'black' in a derogatory fashion, the word itself is fine for use in polite society. I think one also needs to consider that two words that are spelled the same don't necessarily have the same meaning. 'Jap' as a slur and 'Jap' as an abbreviation of 'Japanese' are two entirely separate words with separate definitions. To my mind, anger at people who use the word 'Jap' in an entirely innocent fashion is almost as bad as the vitriol generated whenever someone uses the word 'niggardly'. |
Oh boy, where to start. Nigger, nigra, etc. All decend from romance language names for black. Nigra - french, niger- latin, etc. Chink has alternately been described as Asian eyes being slitty like the small slits in armors, and as I said before, is probably a shortening of Chinese, or Qing. Cracker being a reference to the whiteness of skin. They have plenty of resemblence to people, they are just use in a deragatory way.
Like I said before though - just because you don't find it offense to say in private company does not mean that it is acceptable in a place that anyone can read your remarks. The fact that you know something is offensive yet still find it fine to use is a tad perturbing.
Niggardly isn't even of the same language origin as "nigger" -its of norse origin. Yes, I know. But, not even in the same ballpark.
"Suck on it" -vgchartz mod
