Shrug. Bare assertion. For evidence that it's not, see the article. Respond if you can. — Baden
The article goes on to argue that "nigga" is actually becoming a pronoun rather than a noun and there's data to support that, but that's less relevant to the issue being discussed in this thread. — Baden
Look back at that article. It is itself merely opinion. If I missed where there is any academic weight at all to that article, could you point it out? — frank
Lol. Its the same word, Baden. — frank
I'm mixed-race. — frank
The n-word is a slurring of negro. It just meant black. It was succeeded by "colored," which was succeeded by "black," which was supposed to be succeeded by "African American," but that one had too many syllables. — frank
I remember being taught at primary school ( UK - a couple of several decades ago ) that the proper word to use was 'negroe'. — Amity
How does any of that support your claim? — frank
I'm telling you: the way blacks use the word is in many cases exactly the same way whites once used it. If you were thinking that blacks always drop the r at the end, you're wrong. So zero in on that fact and look again at the argument you're trying to counter: that since blacks use it, whites should be able to use it.
The argument you presented is a ridiculous solution to the white quest to use it anyway. That quest needs no solution. It's just a handful of white people being laughable. If they aren't actually trying to get a laugh, they're just stupid. — frank
I'm supporting the linguistic argument that they're different words, which is what the above focuses on too in presenting syntactic disparities of usage evident of a shifting of word class. I'm not arguing against your personal experience of using the word. — Baden
My hope is that understanding some of the linguistic facts might help clear up some of the confusion and help white people stop being stupid about it. — Baden
Fine. Apparently I need to say it again: in many cases, the black usage is the same as the historic white usage. It's very clearly the same word. — frank
(I'm not even saying it's beyond debate that they're different words, only that it's a linguistic issue and can only be sorted out by looking at how they behave not by how people think they behave.) — Baden
You checked off the box on government forms indicating whether you were white or colored. Use of the term colored now makes you sound painfully ignorant, but not necessary racist, but likely holding less than progressive views. — Hanover
(I'm not even saying it's beyond debate that they're different words, only that it's a linguistic issue and can only be sorted out by looking at how they behave not by how people think they behave.) — Baden
My question is whether the N-word specifically has become a word that is per se insulting, regardless of context — Hanover
We're not talking about translation. The question doesn't concern how to translate one word into another, it concerns whether or not there are enough differences between the way the variants of the word in question behaves to justify considering those variants as two different words. — Baden
1. I'm white.
2. There are sanctions against my use of the n-word.
3. Black people say the n-word without sanctions.
C. Therefore there is a contradiction that can only be resolved by
C1. Black people should stop saying it
C2. I should be allowed to say it. — frank
The idea of that makes no sense. What it is for an utterance to be insulting is for an individual to take it a particular way, to apply certain meanings and connotations to the utterance, to assume particular intentions, etc. So it depends on the individual considering it. — Terrapin Station
This process of a group of people co-opting a word originally intended as derogatory of that group as a badge of honour is a very common process. That the word continues to be offensive when not used by people part of that group (or sub-culture as jamalrob describes it) is apparently confusing to some. However, it shouldn't be. — Benkei
Black people get to use that word, we honkies don't and we lost the right to do so because our dads and granddads were assholes to black people. — Benkei
I'm not sure that's entirely the case though. I think the utterance itself has become a perfomative act to some, where it's inexcusable regardless of intent. I don't think in the examples cited in the OP that there's evidence of mal-intent. — Hanover
There's an old name for them that nobody uses anymore because it had the n-word in it. As far as I know, there isn't a new word, though. The last time I heard someone try to speak about them, they just pointed and said "those."
That is the power of a social wound. — frank
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