Just like the words there, their and they’re the words nigger, nigga and Niger should never be mixed up. Why does this matter? because just like the T-words the N-words differ significantly in meaning. I found this topic quite interesting because I don’t think there has ever been a meet up with friends where there hasn’t been at least one racial slur thrown in casually without a passing thought to its implications. I bet most people of coloured skin have been called “nigga” at one point in time by some other coloured person they didn’t know and found it to be fine. But have you ever seen a non-coloured person say “sup my nigga” to a coloured person?. Yup, that situation gets awkward real fast. It's obvious why it gets awkward but the part I want to touch on is how the word nigga was said but the word nigger was thought to be intended.
Nigger
This is the offensive one. This is the one that was used to enslave a whole race of people. I believe in theory the word is actually quite harmless. It is derived from the Spanish word negro or the latin term niger which simply means a person of black ancestry or skin colour. Its use should have only been used to distinguish a different social class. However, in practice, its use was to identify the associated class as the inferior. It gave symbolic power to those who used it by implying superiority. If you think about all the connotations the word has it becomes obvious as to why you don't mix this word up. It acted as a stereotype for coloured people by reducing them to good for nothing slaves.
Nigga
This is the one that is used as a term of endearment in the coloured community. It identifies the ancestral background and oppression that connects them as a community.
Why would you use a term associated with a derogatory term which oppressed them for decades?. The point I wanna touch on is how it redistributes the power of those who use it. There's this theory that if you get called names then you should call yourself those names as well. It helps you take control of the names and takes away the power they have over you. This is what happens when coloured people use the word amongst each other. They take away the power from those who would use it and give power to the community itself and instead of it further distinguishing blacks from inferior blacks, it works to unite them. This is why those awkward situations as described in the beginning occur. There is no historical connection made between coloured and non-coloured which would warrant the use of the term nigga between each other.
Niger
To be honest, this word doesn't exactly fit the idea I'm trying to discuss, but it did help match the number of T-words I had. It is the name of a west African country so maybe you can attempt to make the connection there to the main points. Possibly calling someone a Nigerien can be offensive to some. Think that sounds stupid? have you seen a born and bred kiwi get called an Australian during a trans-Tasman game. Yeah, you bet that can be offensive.
Of course, the implications of the word nigga go deeper than the one point I mentioned but It does well to identify its use as a self-empowering tool for the coloured community.
It should be obvious now why the words nigga, nigger and Niger can not be used interchangeably. They have completely different meanings which could put you in those awkward situations if you don't watch yourself.
Just like the words there, their and they’re the words nigger, nigga and Niger should never be mixed up. Why does this matter? because just like the T-words the N-words differ significantly in meaning. I found this topic quite interesting because I don’t think there has ever been a meet up with friends where there hasn’t been at least one racial slur thrown in casually without a passing thought to its implications. I bet most people of coloured skin have been called “nigga” at one point in time by some other coloured person they didn’t know and found it to be fine. But have you ever seen a non-coloured person say “sup my nigga” to a coloured person?. Yup, that situation gets awkward real fast. It's obvious why it gets awkward but the part I want to touch on is how the word nigga was said but the word nigger was thought to be intended.
Nigger
This is the offensive one. This is the one that was used to enslave a whole race of people. I believe in theory the word is actually quite harmless. It is derived from the Spanish word negro or the latin term niger which simply means a person of black ancestry or skin colour. Its use should have only been used to distinguish a different social class. However, in practice, its use was to identify the associated class as the inferior. It gave symbolic power to those who used it by implying superiority. If you think about all the connotations the word has it becomes obvious as to why you don't mix this word up. It acted as a stereotype for coloured people by reducing them to good for nothing slaves.
Nigga
This is the one that is used as a term of endearment in the coloured community. It identifies the ancestral background and oppression that connects them as a community.
Why would you use a term associated with a derogatory term which oppressed them for decades?. The point I wanna touch on is how it redistributes the power of those who use it. There's this theory that if you get called names then you should call yourself those names as well. It helps you take control of the names and takes away the power they have over you. This is what happens when coloured people use the word amongst each other. They take away the power from those who would use it and give power to the community itself and instead of it further distinguishing blacks from inferior blacks, it works to unite them. This is why those awkward situations as described in the beginning occur. There is no historical connection made between coloured and non-coloured which would warrant the use of the term nigga between each other.
Niger
To be honest, this word doesn't exactly fit the idea I'm trying to discuss, but it did help match the number of T-words I had. It is the name of a west African country so maybe you can attempt to make the connection there to the main points. Possibly calling someone a Nigerien can be offensive to some. Think that sounds stupid? have you seen a born and bred kiwi get called an Australian during a trans-Tasman game. Yeah, you bet that can be offensive.
Of course, the implications of the word nigga go deeper than the one point I mentioned but It does well to identify its use as a self-empowering tool for the coloured community.
It should be obvious now why the words nigga, nigger and Niger can not be used interchangeably. They have completely different meanings which could put you in those awkward situations if you don't watch yourself.
This post raises interesting points about the use of racial slurs in different contexts as well as the reclaiming of such words as a form of resistance. It would be great to explore their use within media and popular culture, and whether the public are desensitised to the historical implications of these words- perhaps in a future blog post!
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