Is niga a bad word

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As a result of reappropriation , today the word is used mostly by African-Americans in a largely non-pejorative sense as a slang term referring to another black person or to themselves, often in a neutral or friendly way. In dialects of English including standard British English that have non-rhotic speech, nigger and nigga are usually [a] pronounced the same. The use of nigger non- pejoratively within the black community was documented in the novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson , in which he recounted a scene in New York City around the turn of the century: [3]. I noticed that among this class of colored men the word "nigger" was freely used in about the same sense as the word "fellow," and sometimes as a term of almost endearment; but I soon learned that its use was positively and absolutely prohibited to white men. There is conflicting popular opinion on whether there is any meaningful difference between nigga and nigger as a spoken term. Nigger was and still is a word of disrespect. Most African-Americans only consider nigga offensive when used by people of other races, [4] [8] with some seeing its use outside a defined social group as an unwelcome cultural appropriation.

Is niga a bad word

Nigger is a racial slur in American English used against Black Americans. Starting in the s, [1] references to nigger have been increasingly replaced by the euphemism " the N-word " , notably in cases where nigger is mentioned but not directly used. Rather than demonstrating a hostile meaning of the word itself, early attested uses during the Atlantic slave trade 16th—19th century often conveyed a patronizing tone that reflects the underlying attitudes held towards black people by their white authors. Building up on these mildly disparaging social meanings, the word took on a derogatory connotation from the midth century onward, to the extent that it had "degenerated into an overt slur" by the middle of the 19th century. Some authors kept on using the term in a neutral sense up until the later part of the 20th century, at which point the use of nigger became increasingly seen as controversial regardless of its context or intent. Because the word nigger has historically "wreaked symbolic violence, often accompanied by physical violence", it began to disappear from general popular culture from the second part of the 20th century onward, with the exception of cases derived from intra-group usage such as hip hop culture. The word nigger has also been historically used to designate "any person considered to be of low social status" as in the expression white nigger or "any person whose behavior is regarded as reprehensible". In some cases, with awareness of the word's offensive connotation, but without intention to cause offense, it can refer to a "a victim of prejudice likened to that endured by African Americans" as in John Lennon 's song " Woman Is the Nigger of the World ". In its original English-language usage, nigger also spelled niger was a word for a dark-skinned individual. The earliest known published use of the term dates from , in a work alluding to "the Nigers of Aethiop , bearing witnes". In the colonial America of , John Rolfe used negars in describing the African slaves shipped to the Virginia colony. An early occurrence of neger in American English dates from in Rhode Island.

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Nigga originated as a variant of the infamous racial slur nigger , reflecting one of its pronunciations, and for many people it is an equally offensive word. In the late 20th century, however, the two forms began to diverge in use among some African Americans, with nigga becoming the preferred term for neutral and positive self-referential uses. Despite their prevalence in hip-hop, a highly influential music and cultural movement of African American origin whose millions of fans now span the globe, these uses of nigga are themselves controversial and the use of nigga by a person who is not Black—in any context—is considered highly offensive. Accessed 16 Mar. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Nigga originated as a variant of the infamous racial slur nigger , reflecting one of its pronunciations, and for many people it is an equally offensive word. In the late 20th century, however, the two forms began to diverge in use among some African Americans, with nigga becoming the preferred term for neutral and positive self-referential uses. Despite their prevalence in hip-hop, a highly influential music and cultural movement of African American origin whose millions of fans now span the globe, these uses of nigga are themselves controversial and the use of nigga by a person who is not Black—in any context—is considered highly offensive. Accessed 3 Mar. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! See Definitions and Examples ». Cite this Entry Citation Share. Log In. Usage of Nigga.

Is niga a bad word

As a result of reappropriation , today the word is used mostly by African-Americans in a largely non-pejorative sense as a slang term referring to another black person or to themselves, often in a neutral or friendly way. In dialects of English including standard British English that have non-rhotic speech, nigger and nigga are often [a] pronounced the same. The use of nigger non- pejoratively within the black community was documented in the novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson , in which he recounted a scene in New York City around the turn of the century: [3]. I noticed that among this class of colored men the word "nigger" was freely used in about the same sense as the word "fellow," and sometimes as a term of almost endearment; but I soon learned that its use was positively and absolutely prohibited to white men. There is conflicting popular opinion on whether there is any meaningful difference between nigga and nigger as a spoken term. Nigger was and still is a word of disrespect. Most African-Americans only consider nigga offensive when used by people of other races, [4] [8] with some seeing its use outside a defined social group as an unwelcome cultural appropriation. Used by black people, the term may indicate "solidarity or affection", [9] similar to the usage of the words dude , homeboy , and bro. Some consider nigga non-offensive except when directed from a non-African-American towards an African-American.

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Retrieved June 12, While defending Laurie Sheck, a professor who was cleared of ethical violations for quoting I Am Not Your Negro by James Baldwin , John McWhorter wrote that efforts to condemn racist language by white Americans had undergone mission creep. Main article: Use of nigger in the arts. Rafida Shi'ites Raghead Wog. Three days later, he died, having suffered a skull fracture and brain contusions. Isaacs in: Encounter , vol. In the former case, it is regularly understood as insensitive or insulting; in the latter, it may carry notes of in-group disparagement, and is often understood as neutral or affectionate, a possible instance of reappropriation. Cite this Entry. Muhammad Ali: Trickster in the Culture of Irony. Article Talk. Know the Issues Trending Topics. Acceptance of intra-group usage of the word nigga is still debated, [65] although it has established a foothold amongst younger generations.

Nigger verses Nigga The term "Nigger" is a derogatory term used against Black people.

Washington —an African-American presidential advisor—as a guest. Hun Kraut. For reasons common to the slave condition all slave classes displayed a lack of industrial initiative and produced the famous Lazy Nigger, who under Russian serfdom and elsewhere was white. Comedian Chris Rock 's routine " Niggas vs. Winter — Many teens I interviewed felt the word had no power when used amongst friends, but when used among white people the word took on a completely different meaning. In , in Tampa, Florida , a year-old black employee at a Dunkin' Donuts punched a year-old white customer after the customer had repeatedly called the employee a nigger. Not to be confused with Negro , Niger , or Niger State. S2CID Retrieved December 24, We've been organizing and activating thousands of supporters and volunteers. Retrieved October 14, When a person violates this norm, it creates resentment, intense frustration, and great offense for many.