Derogatory Words

[Nashy19]

This has been bothering me for a while. Should words (slang or not) with well established meaning be derogatory. If most people consider the meaning to be a negative feature, should everyone avoid using them, not matter their personal opinion?

For example 'weaboo' is slang for someone obsessed with Japanese culture, people will take offence to the word itself but defend their obsession. And in American media they seem to be running away with the negative opinions attracted to the word "Athiest", looking for different words with the same meaning, it's always going to catch up with them.

Is it as childish as it seems to be? :|

 

[Squawk]

I personally think people are too scared of language. I have argued, at length, that most atheists are now scared to use the word belief due to creationist misuse of the term, equating belief with faith.

Look around these boards and you will see countless people prefering to say they "accept" science, they don't believe science. I have argued in defense of the term evolutionist on the same grounds.

I suppose it's true to say that language is defined by the people who use it. If a given word has derogatory or prejudiced links then it may be a good idea to avoid it. If a term is used to mock then it's probably again not fair to use it in a reasoned discussion. An example here might be creotard, which I am comfortable using amongst atheists but would never dream of using when a creationist were around since it would, I feel, detract from my own argument.

 

[Andiferous]

I personally think people are too scared of language. I have argued, at length, that most atheists are now scared to use the word belief due to creationist misuse of the term, equating belief with faith.

Look around these boards and you will see countless people prefering to say they "accept" science, they don't believe science. I have argued in defense of the term evolutionist on the same grounds.

Not sure if I'm included in the group, as I've got issues with the word "belief" in any kind of non-colloquial sense and also "atheism," but I've got my own reasons that have nothing to do with Creationists. I wouldn't let anyone - Atheist or creationist - choose the colour of the socks I put on in the morning, never mind my personal philosophy.

Actually, I think I'm still in shock upon recently learning how many creationists are in the public eye. I thought they were out with the flat earthers.

 

[e2iPi]

I suppose it's true to say that language is defined by the people who use it.

You hit the nail on the head, so to speak. With increased usage of any word, it begins to take on connotations within various groups. Atheist, among atheists, simply means one who does not believe in the existence of deities, while among fundamentalist Christians, it means one who worships the devil and wishes to suck the soul out of your newborn baby.

Actually, I think I'm still in shock upon recently learning how many creationists are in the public eye. I thought they were out with the flat earthers.

Unfortunately, no, they are frighteningly common.

-1

 

[obsidianavenger]

words with negative connotations can be "reclaimed" if you will.

look what african americans did with the word nigger.

but this word cycle is also kind of interesting to me... stephen pinker talks about it in one of his books. he calls it the euphemism treadmill.... hehe.

Euphemisms can eventually become taboo words themselves through a process for which the linguist Steven Pinker has coined the term euphemism
treadmill, which is comparable to Gresham's Law in economics. In this process, over the course of time, a word that was originally adopted as a euphemism
acquires all the negative connotations of its referent, and has to be replaced by a substitute. In extreme cases, the process can happen many times, and indeed may still be happening. For example,toilet room, itself a euphemism, was replaced with bathroom and water closet, which were replaced (respectively) with rest room and W.C.. Funeral director replaced mortician, which replaced undertaker. Shell shock was later replaced by combat fatigue and then Post-
traumatic stress disorder.

Connotations easily change over time. Idiot was once a neutral term, and moron a similar one. Negative senses of a word tend to crowd out neutral ones, so the word retarded was pressed into service to replace them. Now that too is considered rude, and a result, new terms like mentally challenged or special are starting to replace retarded. In a few decades, calling someone special may well be a grave insult. Similar progressions have occurred with

crippled → handicapped → disabled → differently-abled

and

clerk → cashier → sales associate, etc.

http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Euphemism.htm

 

[Prolescum]

words with negative connotations can be "reclaimed" if you will.

look what african americans did with the word nigger.

I seem to remember an American congressman (or perhaps senator - I'm British and don't know them off by heart) who used the term niggardly and got in trouble despite there being no connection except in people's perception.

 

[obsidianavenger]

I seem to remember an American congressman (or perhaps senator - I'm British and don't know them off by heart) who used the term niggardly and got in trouble despite there being no connection except in people's perception.

indeed. its only "ok" for black people to use the term

and white people who dress in baggy clothes and listen to rap...

:roll:

 

[kenandkids]

Niggardly has absolutely nothing to do with the word nigger, other than a small phonetic similarity. The entire "controversy" is a study in illiteracy, no surprise that mp's and congress members are the primary people involved...

 

[Prolescum]

Niggardly has absolutely nothing to do with the word nigger, other than a small phonetic similarity. The entire "controversy" is a study in illiteracy, no surprise that mp's and congress members are the primary people involved...

That's what I said, or meant...

 

[Durakken]

It depends on the intent....

That's gay when you use it negatively is offensive
That's gay when you are describing something as likely worn by a homosexual is not

Something I wrote up a few weeks ago...
http://durakken.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/offensive-words/

 

[Aught3]

words with negative connotations can be "reclaimed" if you will.

My favourite examples are Tory and suffragette. I think atheist might also count in this category.

 

[Durakken]

words with negative connotations can be "reclaimed" if you will.

My favourite examples are Tory and suffragette. I think atheist might also count in this category.

Atheist is a descriptor as is Nigger

in other words...

Atheist was a term that originally was applied to Christians because they did not believe in Zeus.

Zeus -> Deus -> Teos -> Theos

As greek/roman beliefs got closer to monotheistic with Zeus being the one true god, and Christians became accepted, the christian's god and Zeus mixed and it wasn't seen as them being atheists any more.

Nigger on the other hand originated in slurring the word Nigerian and simply was what americans called anything from Nigeria. It didn't become offensive until sometime after the civil war where it was used to say something negative about the person and it started being applied to any non-Caucasian unwanted person. Nigger however used correctly is no more offensive than someone calling me Caucasian, German, or English... in my opinion.

 

[kenandkids]

Nigger on the other hand originated in slurring the word Nigerian and simply was what americans called anything from Nigeria. It didn't become offensive until sometime after the civil war where it was used to say something negative about the person and it started being applied to any non-Caucasian unwanted person. Nigger however used correctly is no more offensive than someone calling me Caucasian, German, or English... in my opinion.

Not to pick, but the American origin of the term nigger is more closely related, and gauged to be, from the word negro, meaning black. The evolution of the word is commonly accepted to be : negro, niggra, nigger. This is true in the American south and "mid", other nations or regions may have had a different developmental pattern...

 

[)O( Hytegia )O(]

The funnest point in this topic that has been yet to be brought to light:

Black guy A: Wha' up my nigga'?
Black guy B: Ah- nothin much, homie.

THEN YOU HAVE

White guy: Wha' up my nigga'?
Black guy: The fuck did you just say?!

----------

I think the entire concept of double-standards is retarded. Literally. It's slow.

But, as to words being derrogatory:

"To hold a pen is to be at War." -Voltaire

Whenever someone speaks, they carry with them two facts - 1) they are within a civilized society. 2) Their words carry a heavy burden of effecting the world around them.
It is not to say that we should be restrained from saying whatever we want... But more of a self-imposed responsibility that our words will carry that burden. That the rest of the world IS an affect of ourselves, and vice-versa.
People will be offended by what you have to say. You should respect that, but never let that come in the way of you speaking your mind.