History Of The Word Nigger

[Maritz]

The history of the word nigger is often traced to the Latin word niger, meaning Black. This word became the noun, Negro (Black person) in English, and simply the color Black in Spanish and Portuguese. In early modern French, niger became negre and, later, negress (Black woman) was unmistakably a part of language history. One can compare to negre the derogatory nigger and earlier English substitutes such as negar, neegar, neger, and niggor that developed into its lexico-semantic true version in English. It is probable that nigger is a phonetic spelling of the White Southern mispronunciation of Negro.

The following shortlist is important information on the word's use and meaning :
Naggers : Acting in a lazy and irresponsible manner.
Niggerlipping : wetting the end of a cigarette while smoking it.
Niggerlover : Derogatory term aimed at Whites lacking in the necessary loathing of Blacks.
Nigger luck : Exceptionally, but undeserved good luck.
Nigger-flicker : A small knife or razor with one side heavily taped to preserve the user's fingers.
Nigger heaven : Designated places, usually the balcony, where Blacks were forced to sit, for example, in an integrated movie theater or church.
Nigger knocker : Axe handle or weapon made from an axe handle.
Nigger rich : Deeply in debt but flamboyant.
Nigger shooter : A slingshot.
Nigger steak : A slice of liver or a cheap piece of meat.
Nigger stick : Police officer's baton. [my favourite !]
Nigger tip : Leaving a small tip or no tip in a restaurant.
Nigger in the woodpile : A concealed motive or unknown factor affecting a situation in an adverse way.
Nigger work : Demeaning, menial tasks.

Nigger (as a word) is also used to describe a dark shade of color (nigger-brown, nigger-Black), the status of Whites that mix together with Blacks (nigger-breaker, dealer, driver, killer, stealer, worshipper, and looking), and anything belonging to or linked to African Americans (nigger-baby, boy, girl, mouth, feet, preacher, job, love, culture, college, music, etc). Jews are called White-niggers; Arabs, sand-niggers; Japanese, yellow-niggers.

Another interesting and confusing experience in American speech is the use of nigger by African Americans. Poetry by Blacks is instructive; one can often find the word nigger used in Black writings. Major and minor poets alike have used it with startling results : Imamu Amiri Baraka, contemporary poet, uses nigger in one of his angriest poems, "I Don't Love You," and what was the world to the words of slick nigger fathers too depressed to explain why they could not appear to be men. One wonders how readers are supposed to understand "nigger fathers." Baraka's use of this imagery, regardless of his purpose, reinforces the stereotype of the worthless, pleasure-seeking "coon" caricature. Ted Joans's use of nigger in "The Nice Colored Man" is an example of explainable expression. Joans said he was asked to give a reading in London because he was a "nice colored man." Infuriated by the labels "nice" and "colored," Joan's wrote a quintessential rebellious poem. While the poem should be read in its entirety, a few lines will do : "Smart Black Nigger/Knife Carrying Nigger/Gun Toting Nigger/Military Nigger/Clock Watching Nigger/Poisoning Nigger/Disgusting Nigger/Black Ass Nigger." This piece uses adjective upon adjective attached to the word nigger.

Rappers, themselves poets, rap about niggers before mostly White audiences, some of whom see themselves as wiggers (White niggers) and refer to one another as "my niggah." Snoop Doggy Dogg's single, "You Thought," raps, "Wanna grab a skinny nigga like Snoop Dogg/Cause you like it tall/and work it baby doll." Tupac Shakur's "Crooked Ass Nigga" lyrics included, "Now I could be a crooked nigga too/When I'm rollin' with my crew." Also rap lyrics that degrade women and glamorize violence reinforce the historical Brute Caricature.

If I say nigger im a racist, if a black person says it they're talking to a friend. Black poeple did the best thing they could with the word, they did what they do best THEY STOLE IT !