Nigger is a term used to refer to dark-skinned peoples, especially Africans or people of African descent. Its use by white people is usually seen as extremely offensive, but it may be used by black people in a neutral or positive way.^[1] The latter use mostly occurs with the pronunciation of "niggah". Standard pronunciation by black people may also be considered offensive. World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second_largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... The African diaspora or Afro diaspora is the diaspora created by the movements and culture of Africans and their descendants throughout the world, to places such as the Americas, (including the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America) Europe and Asia . ...

At the time of the Atlantic slave trade, it was a standard, casual English term for black people. The word later became associated with an overt contempt, a racist assumption of inherent black inferiority, making it extremely pejorative. The Atlantic slave trade (Atlantic slave trading) was the purchase and transport of Africans into bondage and servitude in the New World. ... Wiktionary has related dictionary definitions, such as: English, english The language of English started in Europe and came to the US with the British immigrants. ... Black is a colour with several subtle differences in meaning. ... An African-American man drinks out of the colored only water cooler at a racially segregated street car terminal in the United States in 1939. ... Look up pejorative in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

However, in the last 100 years, it has also become an informal and self-referential term among some African-Americans. In such a context, it is often spelled "nigga," to mitigate offense, and to imitate the non-rhotic pronunciation used in AAVE. African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ... English pronunciation is divided into two main accent groups, the rhotic and the non-rhotic, depending on when the letter r (equivalent to Greek rho) is pronounced. ... African American Vernacular English (AAVE), also called African American English, Black English, Black Vernacular, or Black English Vernacular (BEV), is a type variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of the American English language. ...

Etymology

The 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. 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 New York City African Burial Ground was originally known as "Begraaf Plaats van de Neger." Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City, the City that Loves You Back Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country State County United States Pennsylvania Philadelphia Founded Incorporated October 27, 1682 October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... Moravia in relation to the current kraje of the Czech Republic Moravia (Czech and Slovak: Morava, German: ( ), Hungarian: Morvaország, Polish: Morawy) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic. ... The Pennsylvania Dutch (perhaps more strictly Pennsylvania Deitsch or Pennsylvanian German) are descendants of German speaking immigrants who came to Pennsylvania in the early 1700s. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Big Apple Location Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,214. ... The African Burial Ground is a site in Lower Manhattan (in New York City) where the remains of over 400 Africans, buried during the 17th and 18th-centuries, were found during the construction of the Foley Square Federal office building in 1991. ...

In the United States, the word nigger was not originally considered derogatory, but merely denotative of black, as it was in much of the world. In nineteenth-century American literature, there are many uses of the word nigger with no intended negative connotation (see below). The perception of the term nigger as derogatory is no doubt related to the fact that the Negro race itself was widely regarded as inferior, lazy, simian-like in appearance, stupid, and criminally inclined, by many whites of the time. There is an observable pattern of terms denoting black people which have come to be regarded as derogatory, just as exist for all ethnic groups. Some well known ones are: Nigger, darky, coon, Spook, and colored, all of which were at various times acceptable, but are now considered offensive in North America. Black was generally the preferred term from the late 1960s until the 1990s, but has now been displaced in politically correct usage by African American, which resembles the term Afro-American that was in vogue in the early 1970s. However, Black continues in widespread popular use as a racial designation. Families Cebidae Aotidae Pitheciidae Atelidae Cercopithecidae Hylobatidae Hominidae The simians (infraorder Simiiformes) are the higher primates very common to most people: the monkeys and the apes, including humans. ... Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ...

In Cuba the Spanish word prieto (similar origin to the Portuguese preto) is not derogatory. In Cuba a prieto is someone who is very dark, but not black ("Negro"). The Spanish word for "black" is "negro." White Southern dialect in many parts of the southern United States changes the pronunciation of "Negro" to "nigra." The form "nigger" may have come about from "nigra" through metathesis. Metathesis is a sound change that alters the order of phonemes in a word. ...

At times, black people have appropriated the slur, subverting it to a self-referential term that is often suggestive of familiarity, endearment, or kinship. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The word is occasionally spelt 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 and nagger.

Usage

In the United States, the word was freely used by both whites and blacks, until the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s. A striking example is in televised coverage of a march in Birmingham, Alabama, when protesters, led by Dr. Martin Luther King, were met with attacks from dogs and fire hoses. A white woman from another Alabama county was interviewed. Visibly upset, she said, "It's not right. We don't treat niggers like that here." 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." The civil rights movement in the United States has been a long, primarily nonviolent struggle to bring full civil rights and equality under the law to all citizens of United States. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Magic City, Pittsburgh of the South, BHam, The Ham Location Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Alabama Jefferson County Mayor Bernard Kincaid (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 151. ... The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr, Ph. ... Official language(s) English and French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans at last census; probably Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina Area  Ranked 31st  - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 16  - Latitude 29°N to 33... Earl Kemp Long (August 26, 1895 – September 5, 1960) was an American politician and three-time Governor of Louisiana. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ...

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." 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" throughout modern English vernacular robs younger generations of the full history of black people in America. For example, using "the N-word" in place of "Nazi," which was also a pejorative term, would rob younger generations of the full gravity of the Holocaust. An African-American man drinks out of the colored only water cooler at a racially segregated street car terminal in the United States in 1939. ... A taboo is a strong social prohibition (or ban) relating to any area of human activity or social custom declared as sacred and forbidden; breaking of the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society. ... ... James Strom Thurmond (December 5, 1902 – June 26, 2003) represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to April 1956 and November 1956 to 1964 as a Democrat and from 1964 to 2003 as a Republican. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... Periphrasis, like its Latin counterpart circumlocution, is a figure of speech where the meaning of a word or phrase is indirectly expressed through several or many words. ... It has been suggested that Criticism of Microsoft be merged into this article or section. ... Encarta is a digital multimedia encyclopedia published and updated frequently by Microsoft Corporation. ... A dictionary is a list of words with their definitions, a list of characters with their glyphs, or a list of words with corresponding words in other languages. ... Style guides generally give guidance on language use. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The vernacular is the native language of a country or locality. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Look up pejorative in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Concentration camp inmates during the Holocaust The Holocaust was Nazi Germanys systematic genocide (ethnic cleansing) of various ethnic, religious, national, and secular groups during World War II. Early elements include the Kristallnacht pogrom and the T-4 Euthanasia Program established by Hitler that killed some 200,000 people. ...

In Australia, although in general the meaning of 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 are used in its place. 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 (c.v. 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 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. Look up urban in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The word indigenous is an adjective derived from the Latin word indigena, meaning native, belonging to, aboriginal; and has several applications: Indigenous peoples, communities and cultures native or indigenous to a territory; Indigenous (band), a Native American blues-rock band; In biology, indigenous means native to a place or biota... A blood type is a description of an individuals characteristics of red blood cells due to substances (carbohydrates and proteins) on the cell membrane. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. ... // United States In the United States, the frontier was the term applied to the zone of unsettled land outside the region of existing settlements of Americans. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling (December 30, 1865 – January 18, 1936) was a British author and poet, born in India. ... Australian Aborigines are the main indigenous people of Australia. ... For the Māori language, see Māori language. ...

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. See also: jury rig Look up May in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... Scientific American is a popular-science magazine, published monthly since August 28, 1845, making it the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States. ... Armature is usually the rotating part of an electric motor or dynamo. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... A piece of transparent duct tape, left, and of silver duct tape, right. ... Jury rigging or ghetto engineering (in politically correct parlance) refers to makeshift repairs or substitutes, made with only the tools and materials that happen to be on hand. ...

Also in the past, nigger sometimes meant a disadvantaged person. For example, Ron Dellums, an American politician, once said that "it's time for somebody to lead all of America's Niggers".^[2] Similar uses of the word were made by Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. Dellums memoirs were published in 2000 Ronald Vernie Dellums (born November 24, 1935), U.S. Democratic Party politician, was a U.S. Representative from California from 1971 until 1999. ... Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, novelist, writer, and lecturer. ... Dickens redirects here. ...

The term nigger is also applied to a piece of machinery that 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. This article or section should include material from Saw mill A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... A log can be: a cut portion of a tree bole or large branch (see logging) a time-sequential data record (see data logging) a logarithm used in mathematical calculations a log (speed) to measure the speed of a ship a Ships log of important events in the management...

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: Photographic self-portrait by Carl Van Vechten, 1934 Carl Van Vechten (June 17, 1880 – December 21, 1964) was an American writer and photographer who was a patron of the Harlem Renaissance and the literary executor of Gertrude Stein. ... The Harlem Renaissance was a flowering of art, literature and music in the United States in the 1920s and early 1930s led by the African American community based in Harlem, New York City. ... Nigger Heaven (1926) is a book by Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964) set during the Harlem Renaissance in the United States in the 1920s. ... Langston Hughes, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1936 Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, novelist, playwright, short story writer, and newspaper columnist. ...

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.^[3][4] Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, novelist, writer, and lecturer. ... Huckleberry Finn and Jim Mark Twain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) is commonly accounted as one of the first Great American Novels. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Nigger in the Window is a book written by a young black girl who describes the world from her window.^[5]

Slaves often pandered to racist assumptions by using the word "nigger" to their advantage in the self-deprecatory artifice of Tomming.^[6] Implicit was an unspoken reminder that a presumedly 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. // The term as a pejorative epithet Uncle Tom is a pejorative term for a black person who is perceived by other blacks as obsequious or servile to white authority figures, or as seeking ingratiation with them by way of unnecessary accommodation. ...

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.^[7][8] Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short story writer, editor, critic and one of the leaders of the American Romantic Movement. ... This article is in need of attention. ... The Gold Bug is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. ...

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). Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (September 15, 1890 – January 12, 1976), was an English crime fiction writer. ... The 1945 film version, showing (left to right) Barry Fitzgerald, June Duprez and Walter Huston. ... Joseph Conrad. ... A September 2002 printing of Heart of Darkness published by Hesperus Press. ... In Joseph Conrads The Nigger of the Narcissus (1897), the Narcissus is a merchant ship sailing from Bombay to London. ...

Harper Lee's 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, also uses the term "nigger" throughout, and efficiently demonstrates the racism present during the mid-1930s. Nelly Harper Lee (born April 28, 1926) is an American novelist, worst known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird. ... To Kill a Mockingbird is a 1960 novel by Harper Lee, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961. ...

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.

In the original version of their operetta “The Mikado” by Gilbert and Sullivan, The Mikado in his song “Make the Punishment fit the Crime” used the line “Blacked like a nigger/ With permanent walnut juice” when describing the appropriate punishment for an overly madeup society lady. It was changed in 1948, after much objection to the word after D'Oyly Carte performances in America, to “Painted with vigour/ And permanent walnut juice”.^[9] The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ... Librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) collaborated on a series of fourteen comic operas in Victorian England between 1871 and 1896. ...

The “Scarlet Pimpernel” contains a black character referred to casually as a “nigger”, in a way which suggests no serious insult is intended. Binomial name Anagallis arvensis L. The Scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) is a low-growing plant in the family (Myrsinaceae). ...

In one John Buchan novel the hero goes into a night club in the early 1920s, where “a rather good nigger band” is playing. John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (August 26, 1875 - February 11, 1940), was a Scottish novelist and politician who served as Governor General of Canada. ...

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". Called English literatures performing flea, P. G. Wodehouse, pictured in 1904, became famous for his complex plots, ingenious wordplay, and prolific output. ... Bertie Wooster portrayed by Hugh Laurie in ITVs Jeeves and Wooster series Bertram Wilberforce Bertie Wooster is the wealthy, good-natured co-protagonist and narrator of P. G. Wodehouses Jeeves stories. ...

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. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... An African-American man drinks out of the colored only water cooler at a racially segregated street car terminal in the United States in 1939. ...

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." Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling (December 30, 1865 – January 18, 1936) was a British author and poet, born in India. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Just_So_Stories The Just So Stories for Little Children were written by British author Rudyard Kipling. ... Binomial name Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1758) Synonyms Felis pardus Linnaeus, 1758 Leopards (Panthera pardus) are one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera. ...

Nigger in popular culture

At one time, the word was used freely in branding and packaging of consumer commodities in the U.S. and England. There were brands such as Nigger Hair Tobacco, Niggerhead Oysters, and other canned goods. Brazil nuts were casually 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] Binomial name Bertholletia excelsa Humb. ...

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 title of which implied that women were universally oppressed. During the same year, Curtis Mayfield used the word in the first verse of "Pusherman" (a hit song from the Superfly soundtrack). Pierre Vallières, a founding member of the FLQ terrorist group, wrote a book in 1968 called Les Nègres blancs de l'Amérique, comparing the alleged oppression of French-Canadians to that of blacks in the southern United States. When it was translated into English, it was published under the title White Niggers of America. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... An autobiography, from the Greek auton, self, bios, life and graphein, write, is a biography written by the subject or composed conjointly with a collaborative writer (styled as told to or with). The term dates from the late eighteenth century, but the form is much older. ... Muhammad Ali (b. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) United States of America South Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Peoples Republic of China Strength ~1,200,000 (1968) ~520,000 (1968) Casualties South Vietnamese dead: 230... A Viet Cong soldier, heavily guarded, awaits interrogation following capture in the attacks on Saigon during the festive Tet holiday period of 1968. ... John Ono Lennon, MBE (born John Winston Lennon October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), was an iconic English 20th century composer and singer of popular music, best known as the founding member of The Beatles, in which he and Paul McCartney formed the massively successful Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership throughout... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, funk and R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist probably best known for his soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly. ... Superfly is a 1972 (see 1972 in film) blaxploitation film known primarily for its soundtrack by soul singer Curtis Mayfield (see Superfly (soundtrack)). The movie starred Ron ONeal as Youngblood Priest, a cocaine dealer who is trying to quit the business. ... Pierre Vallières Pierre Vallières (February 22, 1938 – December 23, 1998), was a founding member and intellectual leader of the terrorist group, the Front de libération du Québec and a journalist and writer of militantly polemical essays and books in support of the Quebec sovereignty movement. ... The Front de Libération du Québec (Quebec Liberation Front), commonly known as the FLQ, was a separatist group founded in the 1960s and based primarily in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ... This article is becoming very long. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Not every usage of the word 'nigger' in entertainment media has sparked protests or denouncement. In one notable exception, British punk rock pioneer Elvis Costello used the term in one lyric of Oliver's Army, from the album Armed Forces. Ironically, this usage - 'One more widow, one less white nigger' - sparked no recorded protests or complaints, and the video for the song was aired uncensored on several music programs and networks, such as MTV and VH1, for years. Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954, in London), better known by his stage name, Elvis Costello, is a popular British musician, singer, and songwriter of Irish ancestry. ... Olivers Army is a song written by Elvis Costello, originally performed by Elvis Costello and the Attractions and appearing on the album Armed Forces in 1979. ... 33â…“ LP vinyl record for The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour album from the 1960s. ... The armed forces of a state are its government sponsored defense and fighting forces and organizations. ... MTV (Music Television) is a cable television network headquartered in New York City. ... VH1 (spelled VH-1 (Video Hits One) until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment (at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV, which originally came up with the idea of the channel). ...

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 use the word ever again 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. This article describes some ethnic, historic, and cultural aspects of the Jewish identity; for a consideration of the Jewish religion, refer to the article Judaism. ... Lenny Bruce (October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966), born Leonard Alfred Schneider, was a controversial American stand-up comedian, writer and satirist of the 1950s and 1960s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... NIGGA WHAT ... Bicentenntial Nigger is a comedy album by the late comedian Richard Pryor. ... For other uses, see Africa (disambiguation). ...

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 nearly universally among black rappers in casual contexts. 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'". N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton (1988) File links The following pages link to this file: Nigger ... N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton (1988) File links The following pages link to this file: Nigger ... N.W.A. (Niggaz With Attitude) was a hip hop group that was formed in Compton, California in 1986. ... Hip hop music (also referred to as rap or rap music) is a style of popular music which came into existence in roughly the mid 70s but became a large part of modern day pop culture in the late 80s. ... N.W.A. (Niggaz With Attitude) was a hip hop group that was formed in Compton, California in 1986. ... Straight Outta Compton is a genre-defining gangsta rap album by N.W.A first released in 1989, and later rereleased on September 24, 2002 in a remastered version with four bonus tracks. ... Hip hop music (also referred to as rap or rap music) is a style of popular music which came into existence in roughly the mid 70s but became a large part of modern day pop culture in the late 80s. ... Public Enemy, also known as PE, is a seminal hip hop group from Long Island, New York known for their politically charged lyrics, criticism of the media and active interest in the concerns of the African American community. ... Apocalypse 91. ...

While nigga raises relatively few objections when used by black rappers, it generally is considered off-limits to nonblack performers, with exceedingly rare exceptions. According to a 1998 interview with Spin, 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. Meanwhile, wrath was limited toward punk rocker Patti Smith when she released the song "Rock 'n' Roll Nigger" in 1978, and non-existent toward Marilyn Manson when they covered the song in 1995 and later used the word openly in their own song, "Irresponsible Hate Anthem." Spin is a music magazine that reports on all the music that rocks. Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. ... The Beastie Boys are an American group from New York City: Brooklyn and Manhattan. ... Look up Latino, latino in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), popularly nicknamed J. Lo, is an American actress, pop/Latin pop/R&B singer, fashion designer, and dancer. ... Stark in its simplicity, the cover of Patti Smiths first album, Horses, was a photo by Robert Mapplethorpe. ... This article is about the band Marilyn Manson. For its lead singer of the same name, see Marilyn Manson (person). ...

Many left-wing hardcore punk bands say "nigger" in their songs. 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," by saying, "hunting for queers, niggers, and you" in reference to the police. Even British anarcho-punk band Crass use nigger on "White Punks on Hope" when they 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 use of nigger in most punk rock songs is for a number of reasons, the first of which is blatant disregard for anything deemed as taboo. It is also used in a mocking way, as a gesture to make fun of or illustrate how others think or use it as a pejorative term. As the majority of these bands are staunchly anti-racist, their usage of 'nigger' can be for many other reasons, including cursing so frequently to begin with or that the social stigmas behind any vulgar words are completely absurd, much for the same reasons that comedian George Carlin points out. Hardcore punk (aka Hardcore) is a subgenre of punk rock, the sound is thicker, heavier, and faster than punk rock and implimented 1970s heavy metal influences in its music. ... This page is about the band; see Kennedy family for the political dynasty, or The Kennedy Curse, which inspired the name Dead Kennedys The Dead Kennedys, from San Francisco, California are widely considered to be one of the greatest punk rock bands of all time. ... MDC can stand for: Multiple Description Coding Major Diagnostic Category Mega-Damage Capacity, a measure of the toughness and structural integrity of armored vehicles in the Palladium Books role-playing system MetaData Coalition - see metadata (computing) Modification Detection Code Movement for Democratic Change - A Zimbabwean political party MDC - a hardcore... MDC are a punk band formed in Austin, Texas in 1979. ... The anarchy symbol commonly used by anarcho-punks Anarcho-punk (sometimes known as peace-punk) is a subgenre of the punk rock movement consisting of groups and bands promoting specifically anarchist ideas. ... For information about the anarchist writer see Chris Crass Crass was an influential English anarchist punk rock band. ... George Dennis Carlin (born May 12, 1937) is a Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, actor, and author, noted especially for his irreverent attitude and his observations on language, psychology and religion along with many taboo subjects. ...

Many modern hardcore bands, especially ones in the underground, while not rapcore or hip-hop influenced directly, have taken to using the words nigga and nigger in the same way that rap and hip-hop artists do, but in greater frequency. This is both a mockery of the blacks who abuse the words as well as the whites generally deemed as 'whiggers' who try to discreetly use the words in the same manner as blacks. As hardcore music is rooted in punk, it takes heavily from the punk rock ideas of blatant disregard and abuse of anything taboo in mainstream society. As many whites are afraid to criticize any aspect of black culture or subcultures out of fear of being accused of racism, hardcore bands pounce on it and are quick to mock the thug lifestyle for its inherent shortcomings and misdirected ambitions. The PC Death Squad is a good example of one of these bands. It has become increasingly popular in white, middle class suburbia to mock what is portrayed in rap music, and this resonates in hardcore. It is not hateful or racist, but stems from a frustration of not being allowed to criticize things because it is not socially acceptable or politically correct for whites to do so. Metalcore is a musical genre consisting of a mix between heavy metal and hardcore punk. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Eminem, an immensely popular white rapper appreciated by a multitude of races and with many affiliations to African Americans, generally refrains from using the word, although this might be out of choice rather than racial context. Recently the word nigga has been used by many non-white, but non-black rappers such as Fat Joe, Pitbull and most latin artists. The slang term has brought some controversy to America and confusion to the white population as to what forms of the word is offensive and what forms are not offensive. Eminem (born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972) is an Academy Award-winning American rapper and occasional actor. ... For general discussion of dark-skinned people, see Black people. ... Fat Joe (born Jose Antonio Cartagena on August 19, 1970 in The Bronx, New York) is an American rapper of Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage. ... For the animal see, Pit Bull. ...

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", which humorously describes the behavior of some blacks that conform to a theoretical stereotype. Rock cast "niggas" as "low-expectation-havin'" individuals - proud to be ignorant, violent, and on welfare; the equivalent of "white trash". The controversy surrounding this, to which many took exception because they felt it pandered to racism, was such that Rock ceased performing it. Chris Rock Chris Rock (born February 7, 1965 in Andrews, South Carolina) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. ... Niggas vs. ... White trash is an American ethnic slur with a social class component. ...

Conversely, part of the repertoire of white American comedian George Carlin is a routine concerning sensitive words - that words by themselves are never good or bad and it's the user's intention that counts. "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!" George Dennis Carlin (born May 12, 1937) is a Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, actor, and author, noted especially for his irreverent attitude and his observations on language, psychology and religion along with many taboo subjects. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Since the coining of the phrase "the N-word" (see below), some television broadcasters have added the word nigger retroactively to their lists of taboo words, thereby censoring movies and television programs from the past in which the word is used, no matter its context or the effect on the program. For example, television broadcasts of the film Die Hard with a Vengeance which originally featured a white character 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", which is not offensive and, critics argue, renders the scene far less effective. The comedy series All in the Family is rarely censored even though the "N-word" is used frequently—likely because the primary premise of the classic, groundbreaking show is directly related to the main character's social backwardness and racial biases. On the other hand, Mel Brooks's anti-racism comedy Blazing Saddles, which was co-written by Brooks and Richard Pyror, is rarely shown on American commercial television any more due to the pervasive use of the word. However, as in All in the Family, the film's intent was to call attention to the issues of racism through satire—a fact discussed at length by Brooks when the film's 30th-anniversary edition DVD was released in 2004, and already patently obvious in the film's premise of a town full of white people reacting with hostility to their new black sheriff. Die Hard: With a Vengeance, the third film in the Die Hard series starring Bruce Willis as policeman John McClane, adds Samuel L. Jackson as Zeus Carver, Willis reluctant partner. ... Harlem is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, long known as a major black cultural and business center. ... All in the Family is a popular and acclaimed American situation comedy that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971 until April 8, 1979, when the final original episode aired. ... Mel Brooks in the 2005 film of The Producers Mel Brooks (born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, writer, director, and producer best known as a creator of broad film farces and comedy parodies, or as he says, spoofs. ... Blazing Saddles is a Warner Bros. ...

African-American comedian Dave Chappelle frequently has used the word in satire. In the first season of his show, 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 Chapelle show examines this word closely with 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) Dave Chappelle David Dave Chappelle (born August 24, 1973 in Washington, D.C.) is an American comedian and actor. ... Chappelles Show is an American comedy television series starring comedian Dave Chappelle. ...

The controversial animated series The Boondocks frequently uses the word "Nigga" by the main characters and sometimes others. The term can be used to shock the other characters or for satirical purposes, as when 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 which says "I think it's OK if they say it." The show also makes note of "Nigga Moments", where an otherwise well-adjusted 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. The Boondocks is an American animated television series produced for Cartoon Networks Adult Swim programming block, based on the comic strip of the same name. ... Martin Luther King Jr. ...

Actor Damon Wayans of the Wayans Brothers tried in 2005 to trademark the word "Nigga" for use on clothing, books and other merchandise. 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. Damon Kyle Wayans (born September 4, 1960 in New York City, New York), one of the Wayans brothers, is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor who began his career as a stand-up comic in 1982. ... The Wayans brothers are a group of American comedians who are brothers. ... A trademark or trade mark[1] is a distinctive sign of some kind which is used by a business to uniquely identify itself and its products and services to consumers, and to distinguish the business and its products or services from those of other businesses. ... The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides patent and trademark protection to inventors and businesses for their inventions and corporate and product identification. ...

In the 2005 film Be Cool, the leader of the Russian Mafia tells Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer) to "Be cool, Nigger!" Daboo (Andre 3000), surprised and obviously offended whispers "Nigger?". At this point, Sin launches into a long, well thought out lecture on how only truly ignorant people use the term to disrespect someone's race. Be Cool is a 1999 novel which was adapted into a 2005 film. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Izmailovskaya (Mafia). ... Cedric the Entertainer (born Cedric Kyles, April 24, 1964 in Jefferson City, Missouri) is an American actor and comedian. ... Andr 3000 (born Andr Benjamin on May 27, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an African American hip hop artist and producer; one half of the successful and avant-garde hip-hop duo OutKast. ...

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. The crowd can't believe what was just said by this white person on stage. Everyone looks at each other and you can tell by the hostility building up in the crowd of people that he said the wrong thing in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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. Negro Bill Canyon (fomerly called Nigger Bill Canyon) is a canyon in the southeast of Utah. ... The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is an American federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the U.S. 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". Burnet is a city located in Burnet County, Texas. ... Historically, the Civil Rights Movement was a concentrated period of time around the world of approximately one generation (1960-1980) wherein there was much worldwide civil unrest and popular rebellion. ... Lady Bird Johnson, 1962 White House portrait of Lady Bird Johnson Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson, known commonly as Lady Bird Johnson, (born December 22, 1912), is the widow of Lyndon B. Johnson and was First Lady of the United States from 1963-1969. ...

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.^[12] The geographic coordinates are 30.5126893° N 91.2126084° W. The Lower Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River downstream of Cairo, Illinois. ... West Baton Rouge Parish is a parish located in the state of Louisiana. ...

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. Pennington Gap is a town located in Lee County, Virginia. ...

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. A bollard blocking a path at Princeton University. ... Subclasses Alcyonaria Zoantharia See text for orders. ... The British term for a black iron post for mooring ships, 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. ... Table of geography, hydrography, and navigation, from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ...

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)^[13] is native to Australia. Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  Ranked 6th  - Total 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Species See text Echinacea is a genus of nine species of flowering plants in the Family Asteraceae, all native to eastern North America. ...

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. Binomial name Bertholletia excelsa Humb. ... Prune has several meanings: Any of more than 125 varieties of fruit, most grown for drying. ... Human male anatomy The testicles, known medically as testes (singular testis), are the male generative glands in animals. ... Chocolate most commonly comes in dark, milk, and white varieties, with cocoa solids contributing to the brown coloration. ... A trademark or trade mark[1] is a distinctive sign of some kind which is used by a business to uniquely identify itself and its products and services to consumers, and to distinguish the business and its products or services from those of other businesses. ... A chokladboll. ...

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. Ruthven Street Looking South City Skyline From Neil Street City CBD Looking South Toowoomba (also known as the Garden City by locals. ... An open can of Kiwi shoe polish with a side-mounted opening mechanism visible at the top. ... Headstones in the Japanese Cemetry in Broome, Western Australia A cemetery in rural Spain A typical late 20th century headstone in the United States A headstone, tombstone or gravestone is a marker, normally carved from stone, placed over or next to the site of a burial. ...

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.) Coon is the trademark of a cheddar cheese produced by Dairy Farmers in Australia. ... Cheese is a solid food made from the curdled milk of cows, goats, sheep, water buffalo or other mammals. ...

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". John Joseph Black Jack Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948) was an officer in the United States Army. ... Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire French Empire Italy Russian Empire Kingdom of Serbia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria German Empire Ottoman Empire Commanders Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Ferdinand Foch Nikolay II Nikolay Yudenich Radomir Putnik Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Reinhard Scheer Franz Josef I Oskar...

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. A euphemism is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive, disturbing, or troubling to the listener than the word or phrase it replaces, or in the case of doublespeak to make it less troublesome for the speaker. ... Orenthal James Simpson (b. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Mark Fuhrman (born February 5, 1952) was a detective in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) who found the bloody glove that linked O.J. Simpson to the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

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. The euphemism was adopted quickly by Americans as a way to avoid uttering one of the most generally offensive words in American English. The euphemism is most often used in constructions like: "He called me the N-word", or "I can't believe she said the N-word." (This form mimics other euphemisms for offensive words such as "the F-word" for fuck, "the B-word" for bitch or "the S-word" for shit.) English language spread in the United States. ... Look up fuck in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article or section needs additional references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

More recently the "N-word" has been joined by a similar euphemism suggestive of the potentially explosive nature of the racial epithet: "drop the N-bomb" as in "You didn't need to drop the N-bomb".

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 [niˈger], is uncomfortably close to the English [ˈnɪ.gə(r)]. The situation is not the same with Church Latin pronunciation, [niˈdʒer]. Latin is an ancient Indo-European language. ... Homonyms (in Greek homoios = identical and onoma = name) are words which have the same form (orthographic/phonetic) but unrelated meaning. ...

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 word nigra can be:- A slang or derogatory word for black people: see nigger and negro. ... The U.S. Southern states or The South, known during the American Civil War era as Dixie, is a distinctive region of the United States with its own unique historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ...

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) and the verb niggle come from the Old Norse verb nigla -- "to fuss about small things". 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 African American colleagues, who took offense at his use of the word. Howard later was reinstated after the furor subsided. Look up niggardly in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Old Norse or Danish tongue is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the Nordic countries (for instance during the Viking Age). ... Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ...

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 [2] 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. The Labrador Retriever (Labrador or Lab for short), is one of several kinds of retriever, and is the most popular breed of dog (by registered ownership) in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... A Wing Commanders sleeve/shoulder insignia A Wing Commanders command flag Wing Commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. ... Photo from 617 Squadron The dambusters Photo submitted by Roger Shenton - (taken by John Kramer) Photo of the Dambusters Memorial at Woodhall Spa. ... No. ... Map of the Ruhr Area The Ruhr Area (German Ruhrgebiet, colloquially Ruhrpott or Kohlenpott or simply Pott) is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, consisting of a number of large (former) industrial cities bordered by the rivers Ruhr to the south, Rhine to the west, and Lippe to... Operation Chastise was the official name for the attacks on German dams on May 17, 1943 in World War II using a specially developed bouncing bomb. The attack was carried out by Royal Air Force No. ... ITV (Independent Television) is the name given to the original network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. In England, Wales and southern Scotland, the channel has been rebranded to ITV1 by ITV plc, the owners of the... The Dam Busters is a 1954 British war film, set during World War II, and documenting the true story of the RAFs 617 Squadron, the development of the bouncing bomb, and Operation Chastise - the attack on the Ruhr dams in Germany. ... In Parson Weems Fable (1939) Grant Wood takes a sly poke at a traditional hagiographical account of George Washington Historical revisionism is the reexamination of historical facts, with an eye towards updating histories with newly discovered, more accurate, or less biased information. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band noted for philosophical lyrics, classical rock compositions, sonic experimentation, innovative cover art, and elaborate live shows. ... Pink Floyd The Wall is a 1982 MGM film by British director Alan Parker based on the 1979 Pink Floyd album The Wall. ...

"Nigger" versus "nigga": the new revisionism

Since the 1980s, a common argument among some young African Americans and other youth centers on the pronunciation of nigger as "nigga". Nigga, they contend, is simply a synonym for accepted slang words such as dude and guy. This was the (rejected) argument given by now-infamous secondary English teacher Paul Dawson, who is white, in defending his use of the word to refer to a black student, for which he was given two weeks' suspension without pay. Such use of nigga is heavily dependent on context. It could be an insult to say, "Hey, you niggaz"; whereas, "What up, my niggaz?" might sometimes be acceptable among blacks only. In the first example, the use of "you guys" is similar to "you people", a phrase often seen as off-putting when used by whites to refer to blacks. The second example is in the African-American tradition of using the word to express kinship or affection. Look up dude in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up guy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Proponents of this neo revisionist usage of the term believe nigger, in its vernacular pronunciation, is harmless. Moreover, many believe it draws a line between blacks as victims of racism and blacks as empowered, street-wise individuals. In an interview in the documentary Tupac: Resurrection, Tupac Shakur explains, "Niggers was the ones on the rope, hanging off the thing; Niggas is the ones with gold ropes, hanging out at clubs." [sic] On the track "Violent," from his 1992 album 2Pacalypse Now, Shakur interprets "nigga" as an acronym standing for "Never Ignorant, Getting Goals Accomplished." To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971–September 13, 1996), also known by his stage name 2Pac, was an American hip hop artist, poet and actor. ... 2Pacalypse Now was rapper Tupac Shakurs debut album, released in November 1991. ...

Opponents of this view argue that nigga is simply nigger pronounced with a southern accent, that the revisionist spelling is merely a phonetic representation of the word as it always has been pronounced in African American Vernacular English and nothing more. Nigger, they point out, is also pronounced "nigga" by many who intend it as a racial slur. While proponents of the neo-revisionist use of nigga contend they have "reclaimed" the word and robbed it of its racist connotations, critics dispute this. They claim such usage has not changed the word's centuries-old, racist nature. African Americans generally never consider the usage acceptable in any context by nonblacks. Usage by members of other ethnic groups is viewed as racist and/or, as with much of nonblack, hip-hop culture, a form of cultural appropriation. In the film Rush Hour, Chris Tucker uses the word in one scene; and then in a subsequent scene, when Jackie Chan repeats Tucker's line in front of a bartender (while affecting an African American dialect), a riot ensues. African American Vernacular English (AAVE), also called African American English, Black English, Black Vernacular, or Black English Vernacular (BEV), is a type variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of the American English language. ... Cultural appropriation (also commonly refered to as cultural misappropriation or cultural theft) is the adoption of elements of cultural expression of one societal group, such as forms of dress or personal adornment, music and art, religion, language, or behavior, by an external group, who often ignore the underlying purpose and... Rush Hour is a 1998 martial arts/buddy cop film starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. ... Chris Tucker Chris Tucker (born August 31, 1972 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American actor and comedian who has appeared in a number of hit movies. ... Chan Kong-sang known as Jackie Chan (born on April 7, 1954 in Hong Kong, China) is a Chinese martial artist, actor, director, producer, stuntman and singer. ...

A passage from the African American Registry echoes this sentiment:

[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.

Combinations with other words

Within American culture, adding the word nigger to a second word connotes an extremely negative conception of that second word, usually playing toward racist stereotypes.

For example, to call someone "nigger rich" is to say that they unwisely spend their entire paycheck upon its receipt. To say someone is playing "nigger hockey" implies that they're cheating. To say that something is "nigger-rigged" (a synonym of jury-rigged) suggests that it was hastily or carelessly improvised from any available materials. To say that a victory was a "nigger-win" suggests that the victory was not justified and most likely a result of cheating or other forms of illegitimacy. To call a black person a "house nigger" implies that he is acquiescing to white dominance, and it is similar to calling him an Uncle Tom. Jury rigging or ghetto engineering (in politically correct parlance) refers to makeshift repairs or substitutes, made with only the tools and materials that happen to be on hand. ... // The term as a pejorative epithet Uncle Tom is a pejorative term for a black person who is perceived by other blacks as obsequious or servile to white authority figures, or as seeking ingratiation with them by way of unnecessary accommodation. ...

"Nigger-lover" is a derogatory term used to characterize whites who sympathize with blacks, most commonly used by racist whites against other whites. "Nigger knocking" is a prank played on people in a house, in which a person runs up to the door, knocks, and then runs away.

While such phrases are used to describe people of any race, they are nonetheless considered as racist as using the word nigger by itself.

Another variant involves forming portmanteau words with nigger. The term wigger, or whigger, refers to a young, white mimicker of certain affectations of hip-hop and thug culture. It is a portmanteau of white and nigger. The word is widely considered offensive because of its similarity to nigger and because it reflects stereotypical notions about blacks. However, some people have now embraced the usage of the word "wigga." Look up Portmanteau word in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A Wigger (alternatives: Wigga, Whigger, Wafrican-American, Wangster) is a stereotype of a Caucasian person who emulates phrases, mannerisms, and fashion commonly and stereotypically associated with Black or hip-hop cultures. ... Thugs (alternatively written thugz), in the hip-hop/gangsta rap sense, are persons who are ruthless and who will do whatever it takes to get what they want. ... Look up Portmanteau word in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Forming other portmanteaus with nigger can target other groups, including:

• combining nigger with Chinese to produce chigger (not to be confused with the parasitic arthropod)
• with Korean, kigger
• with Japanese, jigger
• with Taiwanese, tigger
• with spic (a slur for a Hispanic), to produce spigger
• combining nigger with Puerto Rican to produce Niggerican

Other word compositions with nigger that are defaming to persons geographically: The term chigger (or jigger) can refer to either of two distinct parasitic arthropods with similar behaviors: the chigoe flea (Tunga penetrans) the larva of the harvest mite (Trombicula alfreddugesi). ... The terrain of Taiwan is mostly mountainous in the east but gradually changes to gently sloping plains in the west. ... The Hispanic world Hispanic (Spanish: Hispano) is a term denoting a derivation from Spain, her people and culture. ...

• taco nigger, of Mexican descent
• timber nigger or prairie nigger or swamp nigger, of Native Americans
• sand nigger, of Arab, South Asian, or East Indian descent
• snow nigger, of Inuit descent
• rice nigger or slant-eyed nigger, of Asian descent
• potato nigger or "niggers of Europe", of Irish descent
• nigmeisters, of German descent
• pineapple nigger, of Polynesian descent
• macaroni nigger, similar to wigger

A Hupa man, 1923 The term indigenous peoples of the Americas encompasses the inhabitants of the Americas before the European discovery of the Americas in the late 15th century, as well as many present-day ethnic groups who identify themselves with those historical peoples. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ) are an ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ... Map of South Asia South Asia is a subregion of Asia comprising the modern states of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, . It covers about 4,480,000 km², or 10 percent of the continent, and is also known as the Indian subcontinent. ... The Indies, on the display globe of the Field Museum, Chicago The Indies or East Indies (or East India) is a term used to describe lands of South and South-East Asia, occupying all of the former British India, the present Indian Union, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and... Inuit (Inuktitut syllabics: ᐃᓄᐃᑦ, singular Inuk / ᐃᓄᒃ) is a general term for a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic coasts of Siberia, Alaska, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, Labrador and Greenland (see Eskimo). ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Polynesia (from Greek, poly = many and nesi = island) is a large grouping of over 1,000 islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean. ...

References

Cited references

1. ^ "nigger."Longman Dictionary of the English Language, Merriam-Webster, London, 1984. "usu taken to be very offensive when used by whites, but may be neutral or even appreciative when used by blacks".
2. ^ "nigger." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. <http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com> [Accessed 14 Apr. 2006].
3. ^ Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn. The Complete Works of Mark-Twain. Retrieved on 2006-03-12.
4. ^ Academic Resources: Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word. Random House. Retrieved on 2006-03-13.
5. ^ Lee, Helen Jackson (1978). Nigger in the Window. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-07142-6.
6. ^ Stephen Railton (2005). Tomming In Our Time. University of Virginia, Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities. Retrieved on 2006-03-13.
7. ^ Poe, Edgar Allan [1843]. The Gold Bug. PoeStories.com.
8. ^ Poe, Edgar Allan (1990). The Gold Bug. Mankato, Minnesota: Creative Education. ISBN 0-88682-303-X.
9. ^ Michael Sragow (23 December 1999). The roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd. Salon.com. Retrieved on 2006-03-13.
10. ^ Ravernell, Wanda J., "What's cute about racist kitsch?", San Francisco Chronicle, 2005-06-15. Retrieved on 2006-03-13.
11. ^ Jim Crow Museum. Ferris State University. Retrieved on 2006-03-13.
12. ^ Free Negro Point. USGS Geographic Names Information System. Retrieved on 2006-03-12.
13. ^ Semiochemicals of Nasutitermes graveolus, the Niggerhead termite. The Pherobase. Retrieved on 2006-03-12.

General references

• Robert F. Worth (Fall 1995). "Nigger Heaven and the Harlem Renaissance". African American Review 29 (3): 461–473.
• "nigger". The Oxford English Dictionary (2). (1989).
• Swan, Robert J. (2003). New Amsterdam gehenna: segregated death in New York City, 1630-1801. Brooklyn: Noir Verite Press. ISBN 0-9722813-0-4.
• Smith, Stephanie (2005). Household words: bloomers, sucker, bombshell, scab, nigger, cyber. Minneapolis: University of Missesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-4552-3.
• Kennedy, Randall (2002). Nigger : the strange career of a troublesome word. New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-375-42172-6.
• Fuller, Neely (1984). The united independent compensatory code/system/concept: A textbook/workbook for thought, speech, and/or action, for victims of racism (white supremacy).

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... Ferris State University is an institute of higher learning whose main campus is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, in Mecosta County, with a secondary campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and smaller programs located throughout the region. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in leap years). ... Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word is a book by Randall Kennedy about the history and sociology of the word nigger. ...

See also

• Nigga
• Cultural appropriation
• Discrimination
• Kaffir (ethnic slur)
• List of ethnic group names used as insults (distinct from the below)
• List of ethnic slurs
• Profanity — with a discussion of how words can differ in meaning and offensiveness depending on who is using them.
• Racism
• Taboo
• Wigger

The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Cultural appropriation (also commonly refered to as cultural misappropriation or cultural theft) is the adoption of elements of cultural expression of one societal group, such as forms of dress or personal adornment, music and art, religion, language, or behavior, by an external group, who often ignore the underlying purpose and... This article is about discrimination in the social science sense. ... The term kaffir or kafir, which once was a blanket term for black southern Africans (see South Africa Kaffir people), is now used almost exclusively as an ethnic or racial slur. ... This is a list of derogatory or mildly insulting terms derived from the names of ethnic or religious groups used in English language. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Look up Profanity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An African-American man drinks out of the colored only water cooler at a racially segregated street car terminal in the United States in 1939. ... A taboo is a strong social prohibition (or ban) relating to any area of human activity or social custom declared as sacred and forbidden; breaking of the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society. ... A Wigger (alternatives: Wigga, Whigger, Wafrican-American, Wangster) is a stereotype of a Caucasian person who emulates phrases, mannerisms, and fashion commonly and stereotypically associated with Black or hip-hop cultures. ...

External links

Look up Nigger in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• "Nigger and Caricatures," Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, Ferris State University
• "Nigger (the word), a brief history!" from the African American Registry
• Appropriating a Slur in M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture