Preview

Essay On The Word Nigger

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
370 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Essay On The Word Nigger
The word nigga comes from the Latin word niger which simply means black. The word niger was then changed to negro and integrated into two other languages, Spanish which kept the pure meaning of the word as “black”, and English which perverted the meaning into “black person”. However, by about the 1800s most white Americans had adopted the word as a derogatory racial slur to describe black African American slaves and yet again changed it into a new form of the word. They transformed the word negro into the much more racially insulting word nigger. Most people believe that this transformation was made through the inability for the white southern slave owners to properly pronounce the word negro and thus, the word nigger was born. The New Oxford …show more content…
It has changed not only the word which is now pronounced nigga, but the meaning has turned completely around and now is understood to be a very endearing term between black African Americans. The relationship and rules behind using the two words are very complex and difficult to decipher. Both words still exist and have the same background and meaning however, nigga is used by the black community interchangeably with bro, dude, or other words of that nature, while nigger is used predominantly by the racially insensitive white community. It is culturally acceptable for most minorities to use the word nigga or even sometimes nigger while it is almost culturally forbidden for the majorities to say it, instead the majorities are expected to use “the N word”.
It is not known when the word nigga started to be used by black African Americans and at what point the term shifted from being one of the most despised hated words known to the race, to being an everyday term widely accepted by the majority of the African American race. But one thing is certain, the words nigga and nigger are now widely realized as actual words and will more than likely continue to change in very drastic ways as they have for years before

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Post civil rights movement blacks took the word from racists by changing it from nigger to nigga. Nigga is supposed to mean friend. The word was supposedly reinvented and meant something entirely different. People were just conforming with each other and lost their way when they came up with this. Then blacks took pride in being “niggas”, a variation of a word they just spent generations fighting. “Nigger” oppressed black people for hundreds of years, people died fighting against that slur, just because an ‘A’ was added at the end, and all of a sudden it’s…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    People of different races use the word “nigga”—especially the younger generation of the America—however, using either n-word is still very offensive to people of all races. For instance, Tehran Von Ghasri, an African-American actor, said, “I’m still uncomfortable with [a] white guy saying, ‘You’re cool nigga.’ But in 25 years, I would hope that my kid’s not uncomfortable—because that white guy wouldn’t mean it in a demeaning, degrading way.” What Ghasri’s sentiments about the use of “nigga” by non-blacks reveal is that some African-Americans are still ambivalent about its use outside of the black community. By Von Ghasri explaining how he does not feel comfortable being called “nigga,” clearly illustrates the negative connotation of the word…

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Nigga Please Summary

    • 431 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the article, "Nigga? Please", written by Talib Kweli Greene, I relatively agree with his point of view on how different spellings of the N-word will not be affected nor change the meaning, but just only the context of it will make the whole new aspect. His contrary with Piers Morgan is the main reason why I switched from being Pier Morgan's advocate to become his supporter. The example from his story of Ted Joans, how people described him as a "nice, colored man." gives me a brief summary of the connection in context. From our class discussion, I understand that the quote "a nice, colored man" is likely to refer that Black people aren't nice at all. In fact, I will definitely feel offended in a similar situation if I was an African-American. Before reading this article, I have learned that the N-word is originated from Negro, a Spanish…

    • 431 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    agenda. Forty years ago, the word "negro" started to fall out of fashion, it's a…

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    The term “nigger” is an alteration of the earlier term neger, from Middle French negre, from Spanish or Portuguese negro, from negro black and from Latin niger. The first known use of the term in the U.S. was in 1619 when John Rolfe, a British colonist, wrote a diary entry using the term to describe a boatful of newly arrived African slaves. The way Rolfe spelled “nigger”, “negar” was due to the “general lack of uniform literacy standards in the 17th century” (“The N-Word”). During this time, “nigger” solely meant a black person and was only used as a name for black people. As more time passed, the meaning developed into something else entirely.…

    • 1533 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lil Wayne Research Paper

    • 520 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Due to Wayne’s enormously diverse fan base it is likely that he is experiencing complete inclusion, where he sees all people belonging to one race. (Wade) Wayne also attempts to avoid racists issues such as enlightened by the Black Lives Matter movement. Believing that his life matters to Americans because he is black and rich is being largely indifferent to the other oppressed black lives around him. Wayne has likely experienced the avoidance of racial language. Under the very large umbrella that the hip-hop industry has influenced, the usage of the the “N” word and other such language is often seen as a term of endearment and friendship. Wayne may not see that the origin of those terms are from a racist time and place. Finally, Lil Wayne obviously denies the structures of racism in which he believes that working hard, being successful and making a lot of money has made him immune to the influence of racism and racial inequality.…

    • 520 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The term Jim Crow is believed to have originated around 1830 when a white, minstrel show performer, Thomas "Daddy" Rice, blackened his face with charcoal paste or burnt cork and danced a ridiculous jig while singing the lyrics to the song, "Jump Jim Crow." Rice created this character after seeing (while traveling in the South) a crippled, elderly black man (or some say a young black boy) dancing and singing a song ending with these chorus words:…

    • 5719 Words
    • 23 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the word “nigger” is used a great amount of times. This word has a purpose and the argument over if it should be removed or not continues to occur. If the word was to be removed, Huck Finn would no longer be Huck Finn anymore. In a video discussing the n word, David Bradley states, “But to tamper with the author’s words because of the sensibilities of present-day readers is unacceptable. The minute you do this, the minute this stops being the book that Twain wrote” (Bradley).…

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huck Finn Racist

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages

    “Thoughtful examination of Twain’s use of the word “nigger” can help teach students the importance of understanding the context in which a word is used.” (Apstein). The word can help students learn about how African-Americans were treated and viewed back then. He wanted to show the importance of the word. He couldn’t have just switched out the word for slave, because anyone can be a slave. Also if Twain didn’t want to use that word, he wouldn’t have. Twain put that word in there for a reason, he wanted it to spark conversations and controversy. He wanted the readers to understand what type of language people used back then and how certain people were treated and…

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Black Like Me

    • 1292 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The word “nigger” not only was used to degrade the blacks but also revealed how ignorant the person who used it was.…

    • 1292 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    THE NWA

    • 1852 Words
    • 8 Pages

    N.W.A (an abbreviation of Niggaz Wit Attitudes)[1][2][3] was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap and west coast hip hop sub-genres, sometimes credited as the most important group in the history of rap music.[4] Active from 1986 to 1991, the rap group endured controversy due to the explicit lyrics that many considered to be disrespectful to women, and glorifying drugs and crime. The group was subsequently banned from many mainstream American radio stations. In spite of this, the group has sold over 10 million units in the United States alone.…

    • 1852 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Why People Use The N Word

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In today's generation, people so loosely use the word that is demeaning and caused so much hurt in the past. It is amazing that people have selective amnesia and conveniently forget that the N-word brought among hurt, confusion, death and betrayal. Now people are trying to say that the N-word can be used as a word of endearment, a word that sets apart an enemy from a foe. Of course depending on the tone and nature that the term is spoken in. I have been deeply offended and distraught at the thought that this word could be used in any way uplifting. So many people died not be called that word and now so many people thrive and look forward to being labeled such a terrible word. I have also come to the realization that people that use the…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Legacy of Healing

    • 637 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In this text by Keith Gilyard, “A Legacy of Healing: Words, African American, and Power,” is a text that shows how African Americans and the names that we were called and given in back then [and now] are just a prime example of every race. Also it shows that when someone speaks or says something intimidating, it may give that person power but most of the time it’s just the word that does that to someone. The word Nigger is still used today and is “one of the most potent words used today,” according to Gilyard and I believe it is. Rumors run big and are a huge role in power hungry people, for example there a rumors going around stating that there is an ingredient in fast-food chicken that sterilizes Black males. When people here this they will most likely believe it and a huge uprising will start about businesses that sell chicken. Another big one is that the Reebok sneakers were distributed in South Africa to teach and to help them learn how to survive. In a way this is believable and in his text Gilyard goes on to explain why he and his wife fell into this rumor and believed it was real. This society creates rumors that start statewide debates, in which shows that Words and Language can pertain a huge amount of power if used correctly.…

    • 637 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    caucasia notes

    • 974 Words
    • 4 Pages

    “I stood many nights in front of the bathroom mirror, practicing how to say ‘nigger’ the way the kids in school did, dropping the ‘er’ so that it became not a slur, but a term of endearment, ‘nigga’”(63).…

    • 974 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Racism In College Essay

    • 129 Words
    • 1 Page

    Racism is the hardest one to discuss but I am doing my best to help student to discuss.Also I want to mention something , I want to change their idea about how they can discuss this kind of topic. For example, if you are a white american and you are not racist so I do not have to discuss or talk about any thing that some white people has done in their history. Even though he or she are not racist , he or she belongs to this part. By knowing how to interact with people and learning the history and discussing that in a good why without avoiding talking about it that is a tool that I want to see them using it after they pass this course.…

    • 129 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays