# Nigga



## alc112

HOla a tods
Que significa esa palabra?
yo supongo que debe ser "negro" (persona de tez negra) pero de una forma mas vulgar. Es asi? sino que significa?
Muchas gracias


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## lauranazario

alc112 said:
			
		

> HOla a tods
> Que significa esa palabra?
> yo supongo que debe ser "negro" (persona de tez negra) pero de una forma mas vulgar. Es asi? sino que significa?
> Muchas gracias



"Nigga" es un término definitivamente peyorativo para denotar a una persona negra. Proviene de la palabra "nigger" (también peyorativo). 

Tengo entendido que ahora es uso y costumbre entre los norteamericanos jóvenes de raza negra decirse "nigga" entre ellos (algo que NO me explico!!!), pero mi recomendación es que jamás le digas "nigga" A NADIE!

Saludos,
LN


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## Artrella

alc112 said:
			
		

> HOla a tods
> Que significa esa palabra?
> yo supongo que debe ser "negro" (persona de tez negra) pero de una forma mas vulgar. Es asi? sino que significa?
> Muchas gracias




I suppose it is the pronunciation of "nigger".


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## Edher

Hola Artrella,

[...] Edición del moderador: se retiran las consideraciones personales no lingüísticas.

        Like Laura pointed out, Nigga comes from Nigger, and Nigger is the Latin word for Black with a slight variation on the spelling.

Edher


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## grego47

Creeme, que soy de allí. Es una palabra utilizada entre "ellos mismos", los "niggers" que se les llamaban los blancos incultos antes de la época de los derechos civiles. Hoy en dia se oye poco en la calle, pero todavia sí dentro de las casas de muchos blancos que siguen siendo incultos. Como decía antes: entre ellos utilizan ambas palabras incluso delante de los blancos. Pero los blancos no se deben de atreverse si no están preparados para un "follon". Lo siento, pero es así.


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## alc112

Gracias por responderme
Disculpenme si fue muy ofensiva la palabra para algunos. La vi en un chat, mucha gente tenìa de nick algo con nigga.
LN: no te preocupes, nunca uso malas palabras, soy un chico bien aplicado, no salgo de noche, no tomo alcohol, no soporte el olor al cigarrillo. Ademas, no es necesario decir malas palabras, ya que hay otras que las sustituyen y no son tan agresivas


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## lauranazario

alc112 said:
			
		

> LN: no te preocupes, nunca uso malas palabras, soy un chico bien aplicado, no salgo de noche, no tomo alcohol, no soporte el olor al cigarrillo. Ademas, no es necesario decir malas palabras, ya que hay otras que las sustituyen y no son tan agresivas



No es que _nigga_ sea una "mala palabra" en el contexto que estamos acostumbrados a pensar (obscenidades, vulgarismos, etc.) sino que es uno de los insultos o improperios más fuertes que le puedes decir a una persona negra. Por eso sigo opinando que es una palabra que no se le debe decir a nadie, ni siquiera entre bromas de amigos.

Ah, y si continúas fiel a tu estilo de vida... ¡de seguro llegas a los 100 años! 

Saludos,
LN


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## west coast MARIA

no es que niga sea una mala palabra ciertamente es utlisada solo entre ellos asi lo tengo entendido y creoq uee slo mas aprpopiado no llamarlos asi, uno nunca sabe si sus frustraciones lo puedan herir y tomar eso como un insulto y  no como un adjetivo amistoso, es mejor,...NO usarla con personas de color, no creo que a nadie le guste que le digan .. negro, o..asi..


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## Soy Yo

I hate to get into the discussion of such a touchy subject...but I'd like to comment that in the U.S. no one seems to be satisfied with the terminology for the larger ethnic groups.  Depending on the 'times' we have seen the accepted terminology go from Negro (sometimes pronounced Nigra) to colored people and people of color, to black, to Afro-American, to African-American.  I don't think at any point (in the 20th century) was it considered 'polite' to use the word 'Nigger'...this being taken in practically all cases as a pejorative term.  Nigga is a derivative of Nigger and may simply represent the spelling of a variant pronunciation...just as Negra (or Nigra) is a "relaxed" pronunciation of Negro.

It is unfortunate that any of the terms have to be used and that each is in some way tainted...


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## Grant

Alc112, maybe this will help you understand a bit better . . .

 azlyrics.com/lyrics/2pac/thugzmansionnasacoustic.html


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## VenusEnvy

Grant said:
			
		

> Alc112, maybe this will help you understand a bit better . . .
> 
> azlyrics.com/lyrics/2pac/thugzmansionnasacoustic.html


Sorry to say it, Grant, but how in the world does this link help? If anything, it'd probably confuse our poor little alc!


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## fsabroso

Hola,

No entraré al debate, solo decir que  Nigger no viene del Latin, 
y otras formas de uso del termino "nigga"


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## fsabroso

VenusEnvy said:
			
		

> Sorry to say it, Grant, but how in the world does this link help? If anything, it'd probably confuse our poor little alc!



I agree.


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## swift_precision

Of all the posts here those of lauranzarios are the most sensible.  I will say this: I am a black person and I DO NOT use that term even as a term of endearment. And so when I hear other people use this term especially people of other ethnic groups who don't know the history behind the word and use it simply because they think it is "cool" I feel like putting them in a sleeper hold..lol But aside from this if you are not familiar with the word nor dont' know the history behind it DO NOT say it.  You will end up getting youself into trouble.

Swift


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## solbailarín

No you did not... it's just that in America, the black people get excruciatingly offended if you are white and call them a nigger. This is because of the history of the word. It was used as a vulgar cuss/curse/swear word. However, one black person may say to another: "hey, nigger, what's up?" And it's completely ok. For some reason (it doesn't make sense to me) this is accepted and it's just the way it is.


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## TBowers80

Si quieres mirar como usan esa palabra la gente de los estados unidos, pueda mirar la película que se llama Rush Hour.  Esa película es sobre un hombre chino que viene a los estados unidos para hallar una hija desaparecida y él trabaja con un hombre negro de la policía.  El hombre negro entre a un bar y dice a otro hombre negro, "What's up my nigga?" que significa "Qué tal, hombre negro." Pero, cuando el hombre chino repita que él dijo, los otros en el bar pegan una paliza.  Está bien por un hombre negro decir a un otro hombre negro, pero es insulto cuando un hombre que no es negro lo dice.  Hay una película otra que se llama 'Die Hard 3.' En esa película un hombre negro dice a sus sobrinos nunca dice esa palabra porque anima a los otros para decirlo y es una forma de falta de respeto cuando una persona que no es negra dice esa palabra.


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## swift_precision

solbailarín said:
			
		

> No you did not... it's just that in America, the Black people get excruciatingly offended if you are white and call them a nigger. This is because of the history of the word. It was used as a vulgar cuss/curse/swear word. However, one Black person may say to another: "hey, nigger, what's up?" And it's completely ok. For some reason (it doesn't make sense to me) this is accepted and it's just the way it is.


 
Blacks do not say "hey, _nigger_, what's up?" the word is nigga..and yes, it is used as a term of endearment. But not all blacks use this word and I myself do not use it. I am not going to attempt to explain to you why it appears to be acceptable when some black people use the work between themselves and why it is NOT acceptable when others use it. I will say this however: I grew up in a location where this word was used quite frequently and I admit when I was younger I used this word in the manner that I have just explained but only very _rarely _if not at all. The word can be used as a term of endearment BUT it can also be used to mean someone of extremely poor character. Thus, (as some Black people will point out) there is a difference between a Black person and a Nigga. I will not attempt to try and explain this perceived difference either. Also, I have heard Puerto Ricans and Domincians use the word as well but ONLY because in the United States these aforementioned groups usually live in communities with blacks or along side them. Besides this fact, some boriquas and dominicanos share similiar phenotypical traits with African Americans and that is also a factor as well.

The use of "nigga" is not much unlike the use of "spic" among some young Hispanic men also as a term of endearment. I hear some Hispanics calling themselves this term (which is also pejorative). What this all boils down to is this: it is a cultural aspect which I do not see changing in the next 15 to 20 years. As I have said, I DO NOT use the word and I would recommend that others DO NOT use it, whether as a term of endearment or otherwise. I see absolutely no reason for other ethnic groups to be whining or complaining about not being able to use the term with Blacks. I see no concrete reason to use the term in the first place so why would anyone want to use it? DON'T USE IT.


Have a good day gente,

Swift


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## nikvin

Well perhaps swift, you can enlighten us, as to what you feel would be a suitable word to refre to someone with a naturally , permanent darker skin tone, whose ethnic origins would place their ancestors on the African continent.
A word that should not cause offence to any of said group. And waht about those who also have some anglo-saxon ancestry, or any other mix for that matter.

Personally I have no problem with anyone whatever their race religion creed origin or whatever but it is so easy to unintentionally offend.

I forget who sang it , but oh so true, and we should all pay more attention
" when a child is born, it has no concept of the colour of the skin, he´s living in"

Would it could stay that way as we grow older


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## belén

nikvin said:
			
		

> Well perhaps swift, you can enlighten us, as to what you feel would be a suitable word to refre to someone with a naturally , permanent darker skin tone, whose ethnic origins would place their ancestors on the African continent.
> A word that should not cause offence to any of said group. And waht about those who also have some anglo-saxon ancestry, or any other mix for that matter.
> 
> Personally I have no problem with anyone whatever their race religion creed origin or whatever but it is so easy to unintentionally offend.
> 
> I forget who sang it , but oh so true, and we should all pay more attention
> " when a child is born, it has no concept of the colour of the skin, he´s living in"
> 
> Would it could stay that way as we grow older



I think the politically correct term in the US is "African American", but I think colloquially, using "black" is fine too.

The song is "7 seconds" by Neneh Cherry and Yassou N'Dour. 

Belén


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## Afrodeeziak

Black people can say it, white people cannot.

If you are foreign, you will sound silly no matter what. You probably wont get you ass kicked.

If you say nigger, and pronounce the "r", to me that sounds alot worse.

Don't say either one.


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## DaleC

alc112 said:
			
		

> Gracias por responderme
> Disculpenme si fue muy ofensiva la palabra para algunos. La vi en un chat, mucha gente tenìa de nick algo con nigga.


 
You should avoid people who call themselves "nigga". They like to deny dignity to others. 

"Nigger" -- of which "nigga" is a trivial, sardonic variation -- started out as a term of abuse. Abuse is still its main function. When "nigga" is said in public in front of people who are not African-Americans, it is an expression of contempt. To force bystanders to listen to such strong language is to treat them with contempt. This word represents centuries of bad US history. It often conveys aggression -- it's often used when two people are close to punching each other. 

People miss the point when they think "nigga" is just about "the label that a group wants to be known by", or even if they think it's just about race relations more generally. 

At one level, it *is *a salute. When one African-American calls another "nigga/nigger", it's an abbreviation for part of a speech: "you and I are in the same leaky boat, we're outcasts in America, pariahs." So at one level, it's like Argentinians saying "che" at every chance because it's an exclamation unique to them.  

But this word also gives a person a way to act tough and rude, defiant. Unfortunately, they take the rudeness and defiance to extremes: it's a display of arrogance, belligerence, insolence. African-American teenagers like to board buses in groups and loudly call each other "nigger" because it mortifies the other passengers. It's a petulant speech: "You think we're trash, don't you! Your kind called our grandparents and parents 'niggers'. Excuse us while we cause public disruption. You don't dare say anything, do you?" It's about resentment and belligerence. 

The adult men who talk this way have a characteristic expression they use: "You're fucking with the wrong 'nigger'!" This, too, is an abbreviation for a speech. "Here you go, trying to intimidate or overpower me. In the eyes of the larger society, you and I are trash, 'just niggers'. You therefore deny me respect. You must think I'm helpless against you. Well, to hell with white society's opinion! I assure you, I am *not* weakling trash. If you keep messing with me, I'll make you regret it." 

In every large community, of whatever culture, there are people who are hoodlums and there are people who imitate the hoodlums -- the "wannabes". These are bad people who like to go on the street and on buses and harass the rest by shouting rude words or swaggering. Or they drive around at two miles an hour spying on everything. Well, the Afro-Ams who use "nigga" are that kind of people.


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## BasedowLives

nikvin said:
			
		

> Well perhaps swift, you can enlighten us, as to what you feel would be a suitable word to refre to someone with a naturally , permanent darker skin tone, whose ethnic origins would place their ancestors on the African continent.
> A word that should not cause offence to any of said group. And waht about those who also have some anglo-saxon ancestry, or any other mix for that matter.
> 
> Personally I have no problem with anyone whatever their race religion creed origin or whatever but it is so easy to unintentionally offend.
> 
> I forget who sang it , but oh so true, and we should all pay more attention
> " when a child is born, it has no concept of the colour of the skin, he´s living in"
> 
> Would it could stay that way as we grow older



i just call them black.  this invented social construct called "race" gets so convoluted as time progresses.  i guess i'd be considered european-mexican-american...


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## helenkr

In England, 'nigger' is the most offensive name to call a black person, and you can in fact be arrested for saying it (but not imprisoned, only fined). So my recommendation is that if you go to England don't say that word, regardless of if you are black or white yourself. I'm not even sure that you can say black anymore. You certainly can't say negro, coloured, dark etc. I think you have to say 'a person of African origin', just as chinese and japanese people are 'people of oriental/asian origin'.


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## solbailarín

Isn't it ridiculous how "politically correct" we have to be these days? Why can't we just call someone black, colored, or African-American? That's so stupid. When I want to describe the looks of one of my friends to someone I have to use SOME word to explain the fact that their skin is dark. What would I say other than "black" or "brown" skin? 

Personally, I think dark skin is BEAUTIFUL and I wish I had the color of skin that Spanish or Italian people have. I think people of different Ethnicity (Chinese, Indian, etc) are gorgeous. I am just plain, ordinary white. But oh well! That's how God created me and I'm thankful to live in the United States and I'm proud to be an American! Who cares what color your skin is anyway?


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## Grant

VenusEnvey (and others): yeah, you're probably right. I guess im not sure how polished alc's english is. However, that _is_ a very appropriate representation of the use of the word. I guess we can let alc be the judge of this one.

HelenKr (Helen Keller??): I always am amused at the lack of free speech in England.


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## Yael

It happens to me all the time, that I use some word or expression in English and my American boyfriends tells me it's not politically correct to say that anymore. Not just racist things, it could be sexist (mankind is not correct, i should say humankind) or so many other things!!!! I am almost always amazed, I guess because here in Argentina we don't really pay that much attention to that. Many have said that Argentinians are not racist because there are not many races here. Maybe that's why we don't pay so much attention. But in any case, I do find alll this "politically correctness" thing to be quite exaggerated. If the word nigger as always been used in an unpolite and rude way, then it only makes sense that people thnk of it as something bad to say. But if people have said black just to say: "the color of that person's skin is different to mine", then I find it ridiculous that it suddenly has a pejorative meaning. Maybe the problem is that people dont like being different. They dont like anyone talking about the fact that the color of their skin is different, in any way. So they make every word used to say that, a bad word.
It happened to me once that I was trying to tell a joke. In the joke it is very important to say that everythign was black: the car, the street, the houses.... and the people!! So I said that: There was a black man, driving a black car.... but there i was interrupted and asked whether I was racist. Of course not!!!! But how else could I say that in my story? What's more.. why was it ok for the car and the streets to be black, but not for the people? I just apologized, cos the last thing I wanted was to hurt someone, but I found it very ridiculous that this person thought I was being racist, since she knew me well enough to know thats unlike me. Does this mean that words say more about people than actions? I think if a person is truly racist, s/he needs no special words to be offensive. And it's not really very hard to realize whether the person talking is using whichever words with the intention to offend others or not.


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## aquiles68

las  explicaciones en cuanto a la palabra nigga es bastante clara,solo quisiera decir que los negros en norteamerica tienden a discriminarse entre ellos mismos.Es una falta de respeto si la persona que la dice es de otra  raza(aqui podriamos aducir que te estan discriminando ya que por el hecho de no ser negro no te permiten usarla)Generalmente ellos tienen un estereotipo de si mismos muy interesante,checa la pelicula the barbershop.


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## helenkr

Hey Grant!

Yeah, it is funny for such a supposedly 'free' country to have so many things you can't say!!

By the way, my name is Helen Kate Rutherford, my last 2 names are initials in my username


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## solbailarín

Yael said:
			
		

> It happens to me all the time, that I use some word or expression in English and my American boyfriends tells me it's not politically correct to say that anymore. Not just racist things, it could be sexist (mankind is not correct, i should say humankind) or so many other things!!!! I am almost always amazed, I guess because here in Argentina we don't really pay that much attention to that. Many have said that Argentinians are not racist because there are not many races here. Maybe that's why we don't pay so much attention. But in any case, I do find alll this "politically correctness" thing to be quite exaggerated. If the word nigger as always been used in an unpolite and rude way, then it only makes sense that people thnk of it as something bad to say. But if people have said black just to say: "the color of that person's skin is different to mine", then I find it ridiculous that it suddenly has a pejorative meaning. Maybe the problem is that people dont like being different. They dont like anyone talking about the fact that the color of their skin is different, in any way. So they make every word used to say that, a bad word.
> It happened to me once that I was trying to tell a joke. In the joke it is very important to say that everythign was black: the car, the street, the houses.... and the people!! So I said that: There was a black man, driving a black car.... but there i was interrupted and asked whether I was racist. Of course not!!!! But how else could I say that in my story? What's more.. why was it ok for the car and the streets to be black, but not for the people? I just apologized, cos the last thing I wanted was to hurt someone, but I found it very ridiculous that this person thought I was being racist, since she knew me well enough to know thats unlike me. Does this mean that words say more about people than actions? I think if a person is truly racist, s/he needs no special words to be offensive. And it's not really very hard to realize whether the person talking is using whichever words with the intention to offend others or not.


 
I agree. It's soooo confusing and perplexing and a hassle. I feel like I am being offensive and I have to stop myself and pick my words carefully so as not to offend a black person who is in my presence when I refer to the color of their skin.


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## DaleC

solbailarin said:
			
		

> I agree. It's soooo confusing and perplexing and a hassle. I feel like I am being offensive and I have to stop myself and pick my words carefully so as not to offend a black person who is in my presence when I refer to the color of their skin.


(Post #36) 

That's as I explained: they have a big chip on their shoulder.


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## Grant

helenkr said:
			
		

> Hey Grant!
> 
> Yeah, it is funny for such a supposedly 'free' country to have so many things you can't say!!
> 
> By the way, my name is Helen Kate Rutherford, my last 2 names are initials in my username



If were not careful here in the states, free speech could deteriorate! but that's just the paranoid anti-fed in me talking

and the gestalt in me fills in your user name as helen keller!! I guess i'm going to have to force myself to see "helen kate rutherford" from now on


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## aquiles68

by the way in Mexico we use to call negro to someone who is darker than the average mexican.......just an expression. Oye mi negro......Adios negrita.Plain and simple


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## plutogirllove

The racism in this room is nauseating!! Call me crazy, but I would venture a wild guess, that not a single person in this forum has met every black person in America, so generalizing while making ignorant comments are probably ill advised. I have met many black people while living in Seattle and NY, and like every other group (ethnic or otherwise) they are diverse.  There are blacks who like to use the word "nigga", and there are many blacks who find it very offensive.  And this whole thing about most African Americans being offended by the term "black", well not the ones I  know, my friend Tanya would be very surprised to know that she should be offended when I call her a "black princess", I know what I said is shocking the hell out of some of you, but I will continue, there are black gangsters, and black nerds, nice blacks and some you should run as fast as you can to get away from.  Oh and this will be the real zinger, I know some asians
s who aren't that good at math!!!!

PlutoGirlLove.


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## ampurdan

I don't live in a country where black-skinned people have such important presence as in America. In fact, black people has come here only for the last twenty years. Most of them are still foreigners who don't have yet an "African Spanish" culture, but an African one in process of melting or mixing. We've got problems of racism, but they are not significant. Our problem is more with religion and cultural differences than with race.

Anyway, I can understand why people belonging to a group that as such has been not treated with the respect that all human being deserves may don't like to be called one of the names by which that disrespect was expressed. 

Even a so apparently neutral word as "black" (insomuch as describing the colour of the skin) may keep a trace of the ancient disrespect, especially when it is used very often. Europeans and their offsping in the New World have agreed to name them "blacks", because the most eye-catching (*to them*) characteristic of all of the people they used as slaves in their colonies was that colour of skin. They didn't refere to their origin, maybe because there are other Africans with no black skin and the other fenotypical characteristics of the people Europeans enslaved. So, the colour of skin is not a socially neutral topic to refer to, especially with "African American" people.

On the other hand, why should all "African American" people be treated as a community? Why should an individual be labeled in the society a "black" or whichever other label the society has to put on it?

My point is that people like to be treated as an equal and pointing too much into the differences, especially when this differences has been and may still be cause of discrimination and disrespect, is understandably unpleasant.


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## el alabamiano

About 99.00001% of these bejeweled quibbles should be sent to the Cultural forum, or better yet:​ 

> http://jerryspringer.com/


 ​


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## pcplus

yo creo que la mejor manera de erradicar la palabra "n*gga" es que no se diga, porque diciendola entre ellos las personas de raza negra, no creo que se hagan mucho bien, están frivolizandose estas palabras tan racistas, luego no debe sorprender si alguien no conoce esta palabra y la dice sin ninguna intención de ser racista, sólo para hacerse como ellos queriendo simpatizar

Lo que no es racista es llamarse "negro" unas personas a otras, como en América Latina. "Qué pasa (mi) negro?".


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## Starchild1980

Okay okay. I'm going to speak purely from experience here, since I have hung out with many AFRICAN-AMERICANS: Yes, the word "nigga" is used widely as a form of recognition between two AFRICAN-AMERICANS, mostly in the URBAN YOUTH. That being said, remember that AFRICAN-AMERICAN culture has crossed over into the mainstream. Those who live here will agree: In fashion, music, attitude, etc, etc, there has always been an imitation of the AFRICAN-AMERICAN. My point here is that unfortunately, the word "nigga" has also been used by the Latino community (in the barrios, and trust me, I've been to plenty), but I haven't heard a Latino say it to an AFRICAN-AMERICAN to his/her face. I've even heard it in the white community (suburban youth trying this attitude); almost as if were to mean "compadre", "camarada", but only within their boundaries, never to refer directly to any other race. Sad but true. A famous quote by the AFRICAN-AMERICAN comedian Paul Mooney (from the DAVE CHAPELLE SHOW) says: EVERYONE WANNA BE A NIGGA BUT NO ONE WANNA BE A NIGGA...and the audience laughs!!!


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## ulrika

nikvin said:


> Well perhaps swift, you can enlighten us, as to what you feel would be a suitable word to refre to someone with a naturally , permanent darker skin tone, whose ethnic origins would place their ancestors on the African continent.
> A word that should not cause offence to any of said group. And waht about those who also have some anglo-saxon ancestry, or any other mix for that matter.
> 
> Personally I have no problem with anyone whatever their race religion creed origin or whatever but it is so easy to unintentionally offend.
> 
> I forget who sang it , but oh so true, and we should all pay more attention
> " when a child is born, it has no concept of the colour of the skin, he´s living in"
> 
> Would it could stay that way as we grow older



I think the problem is that all those terms insist on calling a person by the colour of their skin. That is the problem. The day we call all men men, we will not have to worry about racial terminology. I don't see the need to specify that a person is black (or asian, or whatever) in order to speak. You don't say, if you meet a white woman, "i met a white woman that ...blablabla" ... you simply say "a woman". It should be the same if you met a black woman. As long as we keep calling black people black when the colour of their skin is not relevant to the conversation, we will continue to have segregated minds and we will continue to be light years away from living in a true community, where we are all equal and able to overcome the terrible past.


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## NYMETS FAN

Hey,
I'm Black, not from Africa...don't call me African or Nigga.  I think we're all American and it stops there!!!!!  As far as ancestors and roots, my roots run into Florida not Africa....one greatgrandmother was WHITE and the other was natural INDIAN...we're not from Africa but we do look black because we're black, it's not as complicated as people make it.


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## robjh22

Apparently I am the only one hip enough to know this: "n----r" is of course purely offensive. "Nig_ga_," with a decided emphasis on the "ga," is a hip way of saying the same thing, kind of like pointing a gun and turning it sideways to look cool. But "nigga" is always endearing, whereas , um, the other word is  sometimes endearing when used by blacks,  but always aggressivley belligerent and hateful when used by whites. You would never hear a white supremacist say "nigga." 

I'm so hip I can't stand it.


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## parknmart

An example for those people who can't understand why people in a group use a word that others shouldn't. 

You're with your friends. You call one of them an idiot. S/he laughs. 

The next day you're walking down the street. Someone passes by and calls you an idiot. What's your reaction? Do you laugh?

Not likely. You'd probably wonder why. The same is true for the word ''nigger/nigga''. Like this forum, context is all important.


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## HistofEng

Exactly, I call my my friend "faggot" all the time (not in public). But we are both gay, and would feel uncomfortable if someone who didn't claim himself as such said that to either of us.

Some girls call each other "bitches" and "hoes" but those same girls may be offended if the guys they're friends with spoke those words.

I will say, however that the use of "nigga" between blacks is more pervasive.


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## HistofEng

Just thought I'd point out as well that many blacks in the US don't really like to be called "African-American," NOT that they find it in the least bit offensive, just that they don't find the term describes them appropriately.

I'm speaking mainly about the many Caribbean and African immigrant communities found in the US, but this applies to many other communities as well.

Black is the race.

African-American is the ethnicity (the culture).


Just like how not all whites in the US consider themselves European-American. Some are from Cuba, some from South Africa, or Japan, etc


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## pachanga7

There's an interesting scene in Spike Lee's movie Malcolm X when young Malcolm is converting to Islam in prison and his mentor has him sit down at a Webster's dictionary (trusted, authoritative) and read the entries for "white" and "black".   And it's truly amazing the extreme divergence between the cultural associations with each color: "white" was considered the same as "honest" "unblemished" "morally pure" and so forth.   "Black" was however defined as "dishonest" "unfavorable" "illegal" and so on.   

I think there is still a lot of racism imbedded in the English language.  Darkness is usually considered a metaphor for evil or misfortune and light generally has positive associations.  The problem I have with "black" and "white" to refer to people is that it is a gross oversimplification that encourages us to see the differences more than the commonalities.   In fact, a great percentage of the people often referred to as "black" are actually of mixed race, at least here in the U.S., and their skin tones range all over the color wheel.   And "white" is not really the color of my skin, thank goodness, can you imagine??? (actually I have seen some *really* white people and it always seems to turn out that they are suffering from endstage cancer or something, it's pretty sad....). 

I'm looking forward to the days when we can stop thinking it's so relevant what color skin someone has.


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## HistofEng

^^Great post...I remember that scene!


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## Markkop

..Ya dejen de hacer tanta ola....Hay un cantante Panameno cuyo nombre es NIGGA...y ya cualquiera pronuncia ese nombre...sin asustarse tanto...


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## Orgullomoore

Markkop said:


> ..Ya dejen de hacer tanta ola....Hay un cantante Panameno cuyo nombre es NIGGA...y ya cualquiera pronuncia ese nombre...sin asustarse tanto...


De hecho acá lo conocemos como "DJ Flash", justo por el estigma que tiene la palabra "nigga"1.


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