|
stillwater (f)
|
(I hope no one has posted on this, don't want to look like a fool)
When I hear the word nigger, as a Nigerian who wasn't brought up with slavery mentality- it doesn't affect me in anyway neither does it make me less of a human being. I never knew the word was derogatory, never knew it had an attachment of hatred.
African Americans and some Africans in nairaland say the word without knowing the history and degradation the word comes with. But when a white man uses/says it, we are ready to scream at the top of our lungs Racist!!! I don't see why black people use the word among themselves and would not allow other races to make use of it.
I wouldn't have come across the word nigger if I never listened to rap/hiphop which is a black dominated industry.
If you hate it why use it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
toshmann (m)
|
i guess you are still at home. it meant nothing to me when i was at home, but the moment i came to the UK, racism was no longer a news item or an article topic, it was daily life. nigger became a curse word. it is a sign of the crack in race relations especially between whites and blacks. i once lived in a flat of lasy drones. nobody wants to sweep the kitchen or clean the bathroom. i did it. it wasn't hard, i could do it daily if i had the time. no worries. but when i found myself in a flat with whites, i decided not to volunteer too much again because those guys will tend to look at me as if i was supposed to do it since i'mnot only black but also african. so i had to stop cleaning it everyday to remind them that slavery is over, many of them still don't know. trust me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
stillwater (f)
|
My problem is, why do black people use the word among themselves?
Toshman, I'm in the US
|
|
|
|
|
|
toshmann (m)
|
i may not be able to explain it fully, but let me try. . .
I have a friend here, we call each other mugu. if another person calls me mugu i wont find it funny. also, my name toshmann, my friends in school say i behave like someone who takes weed. they called me toshman and stuck to it. hard as i tried they stuck to the name (i had to change the spelling by adding an extra n at the end) but if someone else called me toshman i wont find it funny. may be same thing applies to blacks calling themselves nigger.
|
|
|
|
|
|
stillwater (f)
|
 :)I get your point but Mugu (meaning stupid) can be used to define anyone, it's not specific to a race. When the N word is in reference it's specific to the black race. It wasn't blacks that came up with the word, was it? I won't have any problem with it if we came up with the word ourselves.
|
|
|
|
|
|
toyinrayo (f)
|
why? indeed  |
|
|
|
|
|
stillwater (f)
|
why? indeed I don't knowoo  . |
|
|
|
|
|
toshmann (m)
|
like i said, i may not be able to explain it fully but i just tried unsuccesfully. i don't mind being called a nigger by a black person in private but i wont find it funny to be addressed as a nigger publicly, wether by a black man or not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hero (m)
|
African-Americans do not call each other "Nigger", the term they use is slightly different. It's "Nigga". Although it may look like basically the same thing, it's not in the minds of many AA who engage in such actions. Even amongst friends one does not refer to each other as a "Nigger" unless they want trouble. "Nigga" is cool though. I've notice that alot of African who are new to the states have a problem grasping that concept.
|
|
|
|
|
|
ogrebuga (m)
|
My problem is, why do black people use the word among themselves?
Toshman, I'm in the US
Nas said the same thing, then released an album titled 'Nigga' right after!  |
|
|
|
|
|
stillwater (f)
|
:)To Hero, Ok educate me, the word nigga was derived from what (I hope it's not nigger)? I watched a comedy-"Girlfriends". A white woman was in a black salon and a rap song was being aired on radio. Everyone was rapping along with the song including the white woman and the word "nigga" not nigger (which is cool to say as Hero wrote) was echoed by the white woman. But to my amazement everyone turned against the woman, wanting to lynch her. Now tell me since nigg a is different from nigg er, why did they feel ridiculed?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hero (m)
|
:)To Hero, Ok educate me, the word nigga was derived from what (I hope it's not nigger)? I watched a comedy-"Girlfriends". A white woman was in a black salon and a rap song was being aired on radio. Everyone was rapping along with the song including the white woman and the word "nigga" not nigger (which is cool to say as Hero wrote) was echoed by the white woman. But to my amazement everyone turned against the woman, wanting to lynch her. Now tell me since nigg a is different from nigg er, why did they feel ridiculed? Because African-American law has ordained that neither Nigger nor Nigga is be uttered out a white person mouth in the presence of blacks. That's why. Simple as that. Some Hispanic groups get a pass on the word since many of them are partially black and or fully so, and we've grown up in the same neighborhoods and went through many of the same experiences in life her in America. Some particular types of Asians get a pass as well. |
|
|
|
|
|
stillwater (f)
|
to Hero When was this law ordained? Is the law in the US constitution? Or is it just a mere silent pact between African Americans that the world don't know about? Remember African Americans are not the only blacks in the world. Oprah Winfrey said herself that when she went to South Africa, her bodyguard was addressed by a white bodyguard in friendship as hey nigga. Let me tell you, the world know no jack about this "ordained law". So anytime you travel out of the US don't feel bad if you're addressed as such because rap has done a very good job in propagating the cool word to the world that know nothing about the "ordained law".
|
|
|
|
|
|
almondjoy (f)
|
That word "nigger" is a word I do not understand what the hype is all about. It is just a word and means a lot to some people. I wonder why. Maybe because it may ring true to their ears. Personally, it means nothing to me but just a set of sounds coming out of someone's mouth with absolutely no meaning whatsover. Because African-American law has ordained that neither Nigger nor Nigga is be uttered out a white person mouth in the presence of blacks. That's why. Simple as that. Some Hispanic groups get a pass on the word since many of them are partially black and or fully so, and we've grown up in the same neighborhoods and went through many of the same experiences in life her in America. Some particular types of Asians get a pass as well. Your mates are going to the moon and finding cure for illnesses around the world and you are here typing rubbish here about your "nonsensical Nation of Farakhan" laws! Please begone! Quit feeling important and thank your lucky stars that Slavery was abolished. You would not be on Nairaland typing all your rubbish. You should have gone to Liberia when you were offered the chance. You definitely are making the "abolition of Slavery" sound like a mistake!  Yeye boy! |
|
|
|
|
|
Hero (m)
|
to Hero When was this law ordained? Is the law in the US constitution? Or is it just a mere silent pact between African Americans that the world don't know about? Remember African Americans are not the only blacks in the world. Oprah Winfrey said herself that when she went to South Africa, her bodyguard was addressed by a white boyguard in friendship as hey nigga. Let me tell you, the world know no jack about this ordained law. So anytime you travel out of the US don't feel bad if you're addressed as such because rap has done a very good job in propagating the cool word to the world that know nothing about the ordained law. What I've stated on the use of the word is all I will say on the issue. If you want further details of the situation you should contact a fellow AA whom deals casually in its use. I do not do so, though being that I am an AA I know the jest of the situation. |
|
|
|
|
|
Blackcat (f)
|
Nigga was derived out of Nigger.
Nigger was derived out of Niger (pronounced naija)
Niger pronounced in German language is Nigger. (English is a West Germanic language that originated from the Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain by Germanic settlers and Roman auxiliary troops from various parts of what is now northwest Germany and the Northern Netherlands)
It was used by the slave masters to address the slaves that were stolen or sold into slavery because the originated from the Niger Basin. The reddish pink men (whites) had no way of identifying where each slave had been captured from but knowing that most have been captured around the Niger-Delta and the Niger basin, they decided to call them Niggers. It became derogatory when the free borns sold into slavery despised the name because not all were from the Niger Basin (some were from Senegal). It's just like the middle belt (Benue,Niger,Kogi) in Nigeria hate been referred to as Hausa's but that hasn't stopped the South or Western Nigerians (Ibo's and Yoruba's) from calling them Hausa's.
The name Nigger stuck to the slaves thus denying them their identity and with time the names of the countries where they came from was lost and forgotten. New names were given to them and they were stripped of anything that would remind them of exactly where they were from.
A.A hate been referred to as Niggers because it reminds them of slavery and what their ancestors went through.
|
|
|
|
|
|
stillwater (f)
|
A.A hate been referred to as Niggers because it reminds them of slavery and what their ancestors went through.
If they hate it so much they won't use it among themselves. |
|
|
|
|
|
Blackcat (f)
|
We have never experienced slavery or lived in a racist society (Nigerians born and bred at home) lets not judge our brothers. However I agree with you If they hate it so much they won't use it among themselves.
the should not be using it at all not even on themselves. They instead should have also formed a word that is derogatory too like we Nigerians use 'Oyinbo pepper' on them. |
|
|
|
|
|
lazy (m)
|
@poster
I think most use it because they love whatever garbage Europeans give them. I don't get it either.
If you call a child stupid everyday, eventually they will call themselves stupid as well and start to love it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blackcat (f)
|
@poster
I think most use it because they love whatever garbage Europeans give them. I don't get it either.
If you call a child stupid everyday, eventually they will call themselves stupid as well and start to love it.
Word |
|
|
|
|
|
chiogo (f)
|
like i said, i may not be able to explain it fully but i just tried unsuccesfully. i don't mind being called a nigger by a black person in private but i wont find it funny to be addressed as a nigger publicly, wether by a black man or not.
In private?? hahaha, very funny!! that makes no sense! Nas said the same thing, then released an album titled 'Nigga' right after! umm, I believe it was 'Nigger' and not 'nigga'.@topic, accordin' to them, Nigger is the white man's version but they(blacks) have transformed its meanin' and spellin'. the blacks i hear use it say 'nigga' which means homie, friend, etc but 'nigger' is/was used by whites and is considered racist. I personally really don't care about the word, i used to care but i got over it. My AA friends use it to me sometimes not in a bad way tho but when talkin' to some other people at a point, i feel like it was bein' used in a bad way. My policy is if u call me a 'nigga', i'll call u a 'nigga' too be it white, black, asian, spanish. It doesn't hurt me Cuz last time i checked, i'm not a nigga.  |
|
|
|
|
|
![Nairaland [Nigerian Forum] Home](http://www.nairaland.com/Themes/default/images/english/home.gif)
Author
