Nigga, whats in a word? words change. whats it mean?

[FoxDemonSoavi]

I've been watching a lot of chris Rock and other black commedians.They say things like "I"m not afraid of a brotha shooting me, I am afraid of a nigga"
It seems to me that they are calling uneducated angry black people niggers. To me this sounds like they want the term to basicaly become that. i just want your thoughts.

 

[Jstreet]

Sovay with the current trend of hip hop in the general society nigga has become nothing more then a noun specifying another person. Honestly, I feel it has nothing to do with race, anymore. "Nigger" is a word used by only rednecks, and yes it's racial slur and derogatory, but keep in mind, THIS IS ENGLISH. Nothing ever means what it's supposed to. When the word bitch was made to address a female dog, who would have though that years down the line it would be a general word to address women (even though women with any amount of self respect don't like it.)

Simply it can be looked passed and isn't much of a deal. It only becomes an issue when someone tries to break into it and make a situation out of it. I mean even around the forum, Despain, Nin, and others use "Sup nigga" and it does not bother anyone.

 

[FoxDemonSoavi]

yet it seems to bother so many people. All words change. They change through use. I think this is turning more into a "wahst in a word" thread.

 

[Lene]

First off, I'm never going to call anyone the n-word. I don't care what's the "in" defination of the decade, but if the person is acting stupid, they're being called stupid. Just because they happen to be black doesn't mean that people need to use another word. (Which ask the question, do other ethnic group have names for angry people in their group? Not that I know of).

It depends on how it's being said. I'm sorry to say that if I've gotten into arguments with people and they used the N-word maliciously against me. I mean some people call each other c**t jokingly and it's all good but that's a fight on my block (unless I know you, and if I did you'd probably be the type of person who wouldn't use that word), if you know what I mean.

Heck, even the word redneck is insulting. Even though you have people calling themselves rednecks proudly, and songs celebrating being a "redneck woman", I'm pretty sure I couldn't go down in SmallTown, USA and call people rednecks and not get someone who's pretty pissed off.

I've heard some Asians refer to themselves as chink (or other people, someone once told me that I had "chinky eyes") but it's a racial slur and I've heard it used in a insulting fashion and I've seen people get offended by it's use.

Same with bitch. It's all about the delivery. I've seen friends call each other bitch, but if someone wants to call you a bitch offensively, you'd know. And honestly the only acceptable use of bitch for a female is between men. Maybe I don't get around, but I haven't seen some guy refer to his girl as a bitch to her face. And the only reason why people don't get mad at songs that use bitch liberally is because it has a good beat behind it (which don't get me started on Jamaican Dancehall which likes to mask blatant and militant homophobia behind a catchy beat, not all of it though mind you).

So regardless of how people use the word, there's still an overall offensive connotation to it and unless the context of the relationship between the person who says the word is a certain way, it will still be offensive. Just because a few people use it in a way that isn't offensive, doesn't mean the word has lost it's original meaning.

And some of these words have a long time before the history behind these words will be diluted and people will forget it once meant something offensive. Some of these words will never loose it (Sorry, I don't see where bitch will be come something acceptable to say to females).

A little offtopic-ness; I just have to say, I think the opinion that a word is just a word is bullshit (and I meant that word).

Words are powerful.

What people have written and what people have spoken has changed history. Saying that words are meaningless demeans all of that. If words are just words then why do we bother to communicate with one another. I mean, why waste the effort?

 

[Title Loan Man]

I think it's "acceptable" because people (for the most part) don't take language at face value. There's connotation, irony, and personal spin almost everywhere in our daily lives. When someone says, "Break a leg!" they aren't actually wishing bodily injury on you, and when they say, "That nigga's crazy", they (probably) aren't calling this supposedly crazy person "nigga" with venom.

There's also a big difference between "Nigga" and "Nigger", if only in connotation. You say the second one, and you're almost guaranteed to upset anyone you say it to (other than a racist or ignorant teenager). I know I'm upset when I hear the "'er", if only because it has such a hateful history.

Of course, the word in any variety still bears venom. It will probably never shake its past, but you can mask it with connotation. I know that calling my mother or wife the "Old lady" of the house is probably not very flattering, but it's become an acceptable off-hand reference to them because it's usually pretty clear that I don't mean it as an insult.

 

[Oburi]

I think its ok when one black says the n-word to another black... And when u are a friend of a black and u call him with the n-word in a way like "hey dude"...
But I cant say much to that... I live in germany in a village.. Here arent black people...

 

[BlueScope]

I don't think you could (or even if you could, should) call anyone th n-word, neither enemies nor your friends which won't be your friends any longer, I guess... well, blacks happen to tell each other the word, because of some reason, hence it's undoubtedly insultive... the part sovay mentioned comedians, I thought of Dave Chapelle using this word all the time, being funny and myself laughing about that. I even remember myself joking about it with black friends, so I don't think it's insultive in comedy as long as you know there's no real 'meaning' in how they use the word. I doubt Dave actually dislikes black people, and not laughing about his sketches'd be a bad thing anyway ^_^
And more specifically to the question this topic is about: Maybe it's becoming another meaning for some, but I don't think it's about to be generalized like that. I still think it's an insult like any other one, though a little harsher than the general four-letter-word.

 

[EmuMaster2002]

It's a word. I get pissed when people get pissed at its use.

Nigger.

There, I said it. Does that mean I go out every night and kill black people? Obviously not.

 

[Ceroscuro]

... And when u are a friend of a black and u call him with the n-word in a way like "hey dude"...

It pisses me off when people do that.

 

[purplecyty]

trust me it gets much more complicated when you're mulatto but you dont look very black like me trust me >< (I live in a black community so its something I encounter alot and its easy since my black cousins talk like that and i can talk lik that easy with them but some people get mad and want to fight me or something because they dont understand I'm half black. thats why i hate that word i got a right to say it but no one even knows that so whats the point -.-)

 

[FlippyD]

Back on topic... (I think this topic has mostly derailed itself from the... second post...)

The word, from my experience, means uneducated "African American" person. And I say african american because I don't want to throw the word black in (because that can account for more people than standard americans of dark skin, and thus fall out of American social lexicon.) I'm interested in how the word is viewed outside of America, if it's used at all (I highly doubt it.)

I'm mulatto, but with dark skin (unlike my brother and sister) and we live in a mostly white-suburban neighborhood. Our family is pretty much mixed across the board anyway. We don't use that word, but I know when I'm out with my friends (my white friends) in college and we're telling jokes the term will come up, and it doesn't bother me because it isn't a threatening context.

I spent the weekend at an ex-girlfriend's house once. Her father's extremely racist, they live in a very very very small community in Georgia, and he once joked about wearing a white sheet over his head and jumping out at me. Didn't bother me, because of the context.

Words by themselves truly don't have any power. I think anyone with intelligence will understand that. Moreso, it's when you understand the way in which words can be used that you flirt with the true nature of words. It's not the words themselves, but the culture that defines them. We give them power, and if you can't see past their superficial nature, then they can be used against you, and usually are.

Back on topic again, while I or anyone I know might not use the word directly to mean uneducated african american's, the nature of the word, and sometimes the word itself is implied in conversations I've had or heard others talk about. I remember at a job interview my step-mother had, the person giving the review was surprised my mother didn't talk "street." He used a soft version of the word, but it's intentions were implied. And indeed, there is a certain level of calmness you may feel when that person sitting next to you all tense suddenly realizes that no, you aren't going to mug them or whatever. Sad as it may be.

I think people are generally smart enough to know the double-meanings behind words that are said. If someone wants to use the word to hurt someone it's very obvious. Furthermore I feel that there'd be no other reason to use the word other than to cause confusion. There's really no way to deal with the issue and step around it because ultimately, the way the word is veiwed and expressed is up to the people as a whole, and not a singular entity.

To answer soavifox's question, yes, the term is used to denote uneducated blacks in america, and I see no problem with that. In my family and community (well, the black people I know in my community) use the term "negroes" or "black folk", but the idea is the same. It's a way to say the word and save clemency.

 

[BlueScope]

I'm interested in how the word is viewed outside of America, if it's used at all (I highly doubt it.)

I guess I can partly answer that, at least for some European regions... The word is commonly known, which gets me the idea that it's used, though you don't hear it any often at all... talking about what I've seen going outside, some kidz (the 9-to-13 ones mostly, I think) using the word to address their friends, both white and black (which I can't stand, either...). Well, of course, it's still used as an insult here and there, but rather rarely...

 

[Lene]

Well I don't see a situation where you're not going to live outside of society, so once again, words will always have power. Certain words more than other. You can't deny the n word has power seeing as it still a word that causes huge controversy.

Maybe if you go somewhere else, it doesn't mean the same thing as it does in America, but the power is still there. My parents both are immigrants from Nigeria and I had no idea what the n-word even was (although I had memories of it being said around me outside of the house) until maybe when I got out of middle school. Even though I didn't have the cultural knowledge to understand what the word meant at first, I still saw that it was used when people were pretty damn pissed off, and whoever got called that word became pretty damn pissed off too. So, I didn't go walking home going "Mommy, what's that word mean?" because I knew it it's probably something I shouldn't say.

There's a difference between letting someones ignorance and stupidity bother you. I still think words do It's just a lot of people who go on about how words don't mean anything, are the ones who continue to say have absolutely no sense of tact and use offensive words because they know it has that power and they like stirring shit up. It's ridiculous and hypocritical.

And yeah depending on the context, I'll tell someone not to say certain words, no matter what they think of it. If it doesn't mean anything to them, well it won't matter that someone doesn't want them to say it, right?

 

[Crescent]

The word "neekeri" (nigger) is pretty common here. Well, some say it's racism but it's just easier to say than "Afroamerikkalainen" (afro american). In my case the word has no thoughts of racism behind it.

By the way, the word was even taught in schools like 20-30 years ago when learning the alphabet. :D

 

[Sketch]

Well, one other way of looking at it (and yes, I am pretty much paraphrasing from an episode of Oprah I saw. DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT! I Have a wife and there is rarely a day she's not on TV :P) is how black people truly -feel- about the word (In general).

It's a form of empowerment for many. "Nigger" was a word once used as a heavy racial slur, and to be a form of empowerment for White men against Black men. They would use the word to denote them as 'things' and not people.

Nowadays, Black people use the word "Nigger" and "Nigga" (And I don't care who you are...it's the same word) as a term of almost endearment, and in today's Politically correct age, no one is going to correct them, as doing so would make you seem 'insensative'. And anyone -other- than a Ethnic Person (Black, Asain, Hispanic, etc) using that word becomes an instant racist. 'It's our word. You can't say it'

An incident when Oprah was out, with a group of Black people (I forget the context, so forgive me for grossly paraphrasing) and they were greated by another black man who was working security or something of the nature where they were going with the word 'Hey Niggas!' Well, someone in the group (I don't -think- it was her, but maybe coulda been) took him aside and asked him why he used that word. And his only reason was 'Well, it's our word' and after talking to him for a few moments, he was basically blown away that other 'Niggas' could be offended when another black man used the term even endearingly.

Lene has an excellent point: Words are powerful. People use the word Gay and Ghey (Even myself) flippantly, but it's a powerful insult in the right context. So I guess until the day 'Nigger/Nigga' is like the word Gay/Ghey, it may never be readily accepted/looked over. But then again, a word/insult like Gay has no where near the same amount of hatred and history behind it, and there may never be a word quite like "Nigger" ever again.

And I definitely hope there isn't.

 

[lunarhiro2002]

As an American I think you have a right to say whatever you want regardless of other peoples feelings.

As a Christian, and an average joe its just plain stupid to talk that way...regardless of it being wrong to talk to someone that way.

 

[FlippyD]

Well, all I'm saying is that the word itself has no power, people give it power. If it irks you then that's more on you, then the person, then the culture, then the word.

I'm just looking at the situation not from the objective idea of the word having power, but the context. If people were smart enough to look at the context more often and have control over their emotions then the value and "power" of words is lessened that much (at least the power words have to hurt.)

 

[macchia]

Black rednecks? Despite the steriotype in most areas of the south southern blacks arent a problem. Its a problem for midwesternors. In the south, black people from the north who tend to have a 'victim' attitude thinking the world owes them something because of what their ancestors go through, are the only kind southerners tend not to like. Blue collar black people just making a living like everyone else in the south have no problem at all and arent indicitive of the word because they're not ignorant, at least no more than the others in the area. They work for what they get and dont expect handouts or special exceptions, that's the opposite of ignorant.

 

[Minkoff]

They work for what they get and dont expect handouts or special exceptions, that's the opposite of ignorant.

Sorry, what? How is humility the opposite of ignorance? You can be humble and still completely ignorant.

 

[Lene]

Black rednecks? Despite the steriotype in most areas of the south southern blacks arent a problem. Its a problem for midwesternors. In the south, black people from the north who tend to have a 'victim' attitude thinking the world owes them something because of what their ancestors go through, are the only kind southerners tend not to like. Blue collar black people just making a living like everyone else in the south have no problem at all and arent indicitive of the word because they're not ignorant, at least no more than the others in the area. They work for what they get and dont expect handouts or special exceptions, that's the opposite of ignorant.

What the heck? Where are you getting this from? And I'm not even going get started on this "blacks are a problem" statement.