The Use of 'The N Word'

[Shady'baby.]

Aslong as black people use it, i will aswell,a nd im no racist got lots of black friends

[DrunkenDeath]

Word Origin & History

nigger
1786, earlier neger (1568, Scot. and northern England dialect), from Fr. nègre, from Sp. negro (see Negro). From the earliest usage it was "the term that carries with it all the obloquy and contempt and rejection which whites have inflicted on blacks" [cited in Gowers, 1965]. But as black inferiority was at one time a near universal assumption in Eng.-speaking lands, the word in some cases could be used without insult. More sympathetic writers late 18c. and early 19c. seem to have used black (n.) and, after the American Civil War, colored person. Also applied by Eng. settlers to dark-skinned native peoples in India, Australia, Polynesia. The reclamation of the word as a neutral or positive term in black culture, often with a suggestion of "soul" or "style," is attested first in the Amer. South, later (1968) in the Northern, urban-based Black Power movement. Variant niggah, attested from 1925 (without the -h, from 1969), is found usually in situations where blacks use the word. Nigra (1944), on the other hand, reflects a pronunciation in certain circles of Negro, but meant to suggest nigger, and is thus deemed (according to a 1960 slang dictionary) "even more derog. than 'nigger.' " Slang phrase nigger in the woodpile attested by 1800; "A mode of accounting for the disappearance of fuel; an unsolved mystery" [R.H. Thornton, "American Glossary," 1912]. Nigger heaven, "the top gallery in a (segregated) theater" first attested 1878 in ref. to Troy, N.Y.

" 'You're a fool nigger, and the worst day's work Pa ever did was to buy you,' said Scarlett slowly. ... There, she thought, I've said 'nigger' and Mother wouldn't like that at all." [Margaret Mitchell, "Gone With the Wind," 1936]

Used in combinations (e.g. nigger-brown, nigger-head, nigger-toe) since 1840s for various dark brown or black hues or objects; euphemistic substitutions (e.g. Zulu) began to appear in these senses c.1917.

[mistercampbell]

Well, I have nothing much to contribute to the debate, other than the fact that I agree with the topic creator.

"If we decide as a society that the WORD is offensive. Then it should be the WORD that is offensive, not who uses it."

Well god damn. Best thing I've heard all day. That about sums it up for me. I'm Pro-N word. People get over-sensitive over it. I'm black. I say nigga. Other people say nigga. I don't care.

"You can't have double-standards. Chris Rock can say Cracker but Em can't say you know what... No, that's wrong."

Exactly. The double-standard thing is stupid. I'm not the type of black person who uses the word but tries to forbid every other race from using it. I think it's just wrong, and I'm not overly sensitive about the word. The times are different now. The thing about society is, I think we just often look at words before the context. The general context of the word is different now than it was back then. Just look at the context of how the word is being used before judging whether or not what that person is saying is wrong. The same goes for ANY word.

[Emadyville]

Wrong; ***** comes from the spanish word 'negro' which means black, black as in teh color of a thing not of a human being. That's why the whole N word is bad; slave owners called the slaves they owned ''things'', so people from Africa where called ''black things'' hence the word *****.
But I do agree with wath you both said, no one should be allowed to use it. Otherwise eveyrone should be allowed to use it.

Thank you for clearing that up so I didn't have to, and I agree with your opinion on the issue as well

[Emadyville]

Well, I have nothing to contribute to the debate, other than the fact that I agree with the topic creator.

"If we decide as a society that the WORD is offensive. Then it should be the WORD that is offensive, not who uses it."

Well god damn. Best thing I've heard all day. That about sums it up for me. I'm Pro-N word. People get over-sensitive over it. I'm black. I say *****. Other people say *****. I don't care.

I'm sorry I have to comment on this as well because this is the most unintelligent argument I may have ever come across. The words offensive but not who uses it? Are you serious?

Ok, if your logics correct, then guns are wrong, and those who use them aren't wrong. We shouldn't be mad at someone for killing someone with a gun, we should be mad at the gun.

^ That's the same logic you used haha this is actually sad and makes sense why there is so much debate over the word cause people have retarded views that do not make sense on the matter

[mistercampbell]

I'm sorry I have to comment on this as well because this is the most unintelligent argument I may have ever come across. The words offensive but not who uses it? Are you serious?

Ok, if your logics correct, then guns are wrong, and those who use them aren't wrong. We shouldn't be mad at someone for killing someone with a gun, we should be mad at the gun.

^ That's the same logic you used haha this is actually sad and makes sense why there is so much debate over the word cause people have retarded views that do not make sense on the matter

Ummm...I didn't say the word was offensive but not who uses it, I quoted what the topic creator had said and agreed with it. What I believe though is that society tends to get offended over N-word usage because of the race of the person who said it, rather than the actual word and it's context. I.E If a non-black person said "What's up my n*gga?" to his friends some people might find that offensive, even though that person wasn't using the n-word in an offensive or bad context. So you bringing up that point with the gun was rather pointless, really. The point of that quote is that if society is going to say that the N-word is bad, then don't bring the race of the person who says it as a factor, because that is just completely irrelevant.

[drasticlyhated]

people were i live say it means ignorant, but idc really iuse it when i joke with my freinds,but im not racists and i hate racist

[Yah-hah]

I think if black people have a problem with white people saying it then they should stop saying it. I'm full blood Native and I see this as so childish. People have so much more important stuff to argue about. No one alive went through slavery themselves so like he said we all got a clean slate

[AliJack]

but whites needa lay the fuck back before you get slapped.

No offence to the good ones, but WORD.
and arabs were practically enslaved by the portuguese and brits but we don't go around hollerin "n.igga n.igga" lmfao.

well, most of us dont.

[AliJack]

Would white guys go around saying, "whuddup *****" to each other...just a thought.

What you mean?

[drasticlyhated]

yo not trying to be racist but i used to being around black people they like family to me but listen
i noticed evrytime ive met a new white person they always think cuz im white they can be racist to me
there like "dont you hate nikka's?" and im like umm...no? cuz im not racist and my uncle is black so fuck off this probly why i sometime stereotype my own race

[Yah-hah]

hahah wow even w.gga come on now