Why nigger is an offensive term?

[Panda Tse Tung]

I wanted to post this in the 'nigger' thread. But i figured it'd de-rail the topic. So i made a new one.
I think i should partly explain. In the Netherlands (where i live if you did not bother to read) the word 'neger' is commonly accepted as a non-racist term to speak off black people. In fact it is widely used on National TV (even public networks). And it always appeared odd to me that it is an offensive term in other countries. When i posed this question to some people most just said 'cause it is' or something similar.
So my question is: why is nigger an offensive word?

[genstrike]

I wanted to post this in the 'nigger' thread. But i figured it'd de-rail the topic. So i made a new one.
I think i should partly explain. In the Netherlands (where i live if you did not bother to read) the word 'neger' is commonly accepted as a non-racist term to speak off black people. In fact it is widely used on National TV (even public networks). And it always appeared odd to me that it is an offensive term in other countries. When i posed this question to some people most just said 'cause it is' or something similar.
So my question is: why is nigger an offensive word?

I would guess that "neger" doesn't have the same history in the Netherlands as the other N-word - it is probably close to the Dutch word for "black", right?

And of course, sharing some linguistic similarities with a less offensive term doesn't do anything to make the word in question any less of a projection of white supremacy.

[Killfacer]

Essentially because of the history of the word. "Nigger" was what they called black people back in the day. By back in the day i mean when westerners destroyed their families, captured them, made them into slaves, beat them, raped them and killed them.

Any word with that history is likely to be offensive. Plus it's pretty archaic these days. Similarly homosexuals aren't called faggots now.

[fiddlesticks]

in A Dictionary of Modern English Usage (1926), H.W. Fowler states that applying the word nigger to “others than full or partial negroes” is “felt as an insult by the person described, & betrays in the speaker, if not deliberate insolence, at least a very arrogant inhumanity."

In the 1600's the word was used to describe slaves coming from Africa. Black people were not called by their names, they were all "nigger" and treated with no respect by white people. By the time the 1800's rolled around it was more frowned upon to use and colored people was more common (though the word has been in use and is still today). The fact that historically white people have used the word in negative ways is likely why it seems to be more of an issue when white people say it now.

[Panda Tse Tung]

Essentially because of the history of the word. "Nigger" was what they called black people back in the day. By back in the day i mean when westerners destroyed their families, captured them, made them into slaves, beat them, raped them and killed them.Yeah, similarly to the Netherlands. So is there any 'special' history to the word in the US or England making it offensive?

Also fiddelsticks, i have read the wikipedia entry. But it does not provide an answer.


And of course, sharing some linguistic similarities with a less offensive term doesn't do anything to make the word in question any less of a projection of white supremacy.I'm not suggesting this. I am simply asking why the term nigger is considered to be offensive when it's derived from the word 'black' in Latin.


I would guess that "neger" doesn't have the same history in the Netherlands as the other N-word - it is probably close to the Dutch word for "black", right?
Black is 'zwart' in dutch. In fact 'zwarte' is more commonly used by racists oddly enough.

[Radical]

"Nigger" is an offensive word because it was a term created by white people to discriminate black people soley because of the colour of their skin.

I would rather nobody use the word. However "Nigger" is not neccessarly racist. It all depends on the context of which you use it. I am against "Nigger" just as much as I'm against "Honkey". However, we must remember that black people have gone through hundreds of years of slavery.

[Pirate Utopian]

To be fair the dutch equivalent is nikker.
Neger is closer to negro.

Never the less, with all the horrors of slavery isnt the use of some word the least of the problems that were involved from it.
It's just a word that derived from some language's word for black (I believe it was Spanish).
Alot of people didnt know what to call black people at first so they used word that ment black.

It's the association with slavery that makes the word so shocking.

[mikelepore]

The power of words is due to conditioning. A word itself is nothing but sound waves produced by vibrating vocal cords, but the brain works by establishing associations. It's the word used by the person who murdered 14-year-old Emmett Till. The same word used by the person who planted a bomb in a church in Birmingham, Alabama and killed four little girls. The same word used by the person who shot Medgar Evers in the back and then made speeches bragging about it. Inevitably, the word will be associated in our minds with that type of person.

[counterblast]

I can't believe we have TWO posts on this topic.

The N word is a word that is beyond offensive, and one that is especially triggering for many Black folks.

I would suggest that folks rename their posts and add trigger warnings.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Why is a swastika offensive to people? Well, it's the same with the n-word.

A Swastica, buring cross, or use of the n-word is not free-speech, it's connected to violent opression and a threat against opressed groups to "stay in their place".

It's not the word or image itself (hence punk and hip-hop music tried to appropriate these offensive things to use in a different context - but even this isn't a good idea in my opinion), it's the threat of implicit violence, and domination. As much as any slur de-humanizes people or insults people, certain words and symbols are attached to the oppression of one group.

[Hiero]

So is there any 'special' history to the word in the US or England making it offensive?

Yes. The "special" history was called "the slave trade", during this time the term nigger was used to describe these slaves.

Case closed?

[Zolken]

"Nigger" is an offensive word because it was a term created by white people to discriminate black people soley because of the colour of their skin. Created by White people, perpetuated by black people.


I would rather nobody use the word. However "Nigger" is not neccessarly racist. It all depends on the context of which you use it. I am against "Nigger" just as much as I'm against "Honkey". However, we must remember that black people have gone through hundreds of years of slavery. Simply consider those which make most use of the word - mainly black comedians that think they're being funny. Of course there's those ignorant racists which use it as shock value, but then again, isn't that the same reason black comedians use the word?

The point is, if a word is taboo for one people it should be taboo for all people, better yet one would think that the people being offended in the matter would not be making use of the very word which they're condemning others for using.

What exactly do blacks wish to be called today? To be referred to simply as Blacks, African-Americans, or would it be best to resort back to negro, for this was the original designation was it not?

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

"Nigger" is not English for "neger". It's a colloquial corruption of "negro".

[Jazzratt]

Yes. The "special" history was called "the slave trade", during this time the term nigger was used to describe these slaves.

Case closed?


Yes, because naturally the dutch didn't famously have a hand in that trade at all. Nosiree, by golly.

[Tower of Bebel]

"Nigger" is not English for "neger". It's a colloquial corruption of "negro".
Correct. In Dutch we have "nikker", which serves the same purpose as nigger!

[ZeroNowhere]

I can't believe we have TWO posts on this topic.

The N word is a word that is beyond offensive, and one that is especially triggering for many Black folks.
No, it is not 'beyond offensive', at worst it's offensive (to some people). Or was that sarcastic?


However "Nigger" is not neccessarly racist. It all depends on the context of which you use it.Correct, and I believe that you just demonstrated that.

[RotStern]

The word Nigger is the word used by westerners in the days of Slavery.
It was used to discriminate against them. Nigger is used to make black people feel weaker or inferior to a different race.