nigger:
(also ‘nigga’; plural: ‘niggers‘; pronunciation: the letters ‘gg’ are said with a ‘g’ as in “gun”– for the right pronunciation of this word, please click here)
another name for a black/dark-skinned person;
another word for ‘Negro‘,
a group of niggers announcing themselves
e.g.
Uncle Jim goes mad whenever anybody calls him a nigger/nigga!
Though the word ‘nigger’ is considered a racist word, some Afro-Americans call themselves niggers and use ‘nigger’ in the names of their clubs, associations, etc.
There is a lot of debate going on in different circles as to why this word ‘nigger’ has become an offensive word, and some people still believe that when young people, white or coloured, call others of their group niggers, they mean ‘friends’!
Note: This word and its other forms are considered offensive — rude or insulting expressions, therefore, we are strongly advised not to use these words along with the other words, such as ‘black’ or ‘black person/people’, in any context or situation. When in need to use a word to refer to a dark-skinned person with African origins, the expressions such as ‘Afro-American/African American, coloured or dark-skinned’, are preferable.
For an interesting blog post that throws new light on the issue of the origin of this word (read the comments below the text, too, please click here, for a news item that shows us how we encounter this word in our daily news, please click here and for a news article, with a video clip, on a website that shows us how an African American president is susceptible to such derogatory address, please click here.
Return to “Negro“.
