Firstly an original term, for our great black leaders & / or people - pre slavery
was an Aramaic term NEGUS
taken from a king of Ethiopia, thus the eventual meaning King !
n'gus ‘king’ - becoming - NEGUS...
pronounced - NEE - GUS (suspiciously alike to niggas) (more 'e' than 'I')
The then later to the creation of slave master name term NIGGER,
is said to have derived from the Spanish meaning of black -
Spanish - NEGRO...to French - NEGRE to English - NEGER to... 17th century enslavement term 'NIGGER' .....
So whichever history or original terminology you subscribe to
yes, the word has evolved and variates throughout time,
however, note, that never before the 17th century NEGRO nor NEGRE
meant anything other than 'black' in the respected languages.
Modern day, Nigga, derives from nigger, nigger was, as we know nothing we named ourselves, and that's key....
for if we had the choice we would NEVER have used the word nigger, we already had alternative words such as NEGUS and even BROTHER already prominent in our vocabularies,
so in the 20th century, we now defiantly can not re-define NIGGER / NIGGA to mean anything endearing, or ambiguous for the fact, another word, 'Nigger'
exists, and is / was used to the detrimental effect of OUR black people.
Can we use the term NEGUS?,
yes of course, as it means & always had meant,
'KING'....
Negusa Negast or Nigusa Negast - means KING of KINGS
plenty more for women also, research it..
Spelling
So let's quash the ignorant premise to the argument based on the
spelling of the colloquial term N I G G A, Vs the offensive term NIGGER..
in suggesting because they are spelt different, the definition has now changed. lol
the same, so to understand the significant similarity,
we first have to be 'honest' and 'aware' the power
that the human language, thus words, can possess.
"Words can inspire and words can destroy, Choose yours carefully" - Robin Sharma
The difference i can make to a persons day by either calling them a
'Dick head' or a 'Top man' - 'Ugly' or 'Beautiful' a 'Tramp' or 'Hansom'
'Queen' 'Sister' or 'Bitch'
(Shall we claim the word bitch as an endeering term too?)
.... thus.... (alternatively to Nigga)
- 'KING' / 'Brother' or a 'NIGGA' (regardless of its spelling)
"i know not of a man that has felt better about himself,when greeted with the so called 'Endearing term' ... Nigga."
(Let that sink in..)
So please take the point, the obviously abbreviated spelling is not a whole new word, nor does the abbreviation change the fact Nigga and Nigger are pronounced alike, if we're honest, we all know it's exactly the same word....(ffs)
"if i started using the word Honky and Cracker, as much as i used the
word 'Nigga' no one would be entertained by it"
- Akala
Definition
So then the question of validity, to our so purported 're-claiming of the N word'
firstly, we never owned it...
yet, yes of course we have licence to make up all type of slang words, to give ourself as a young (marginalized) black (white or other) British / american people a sense of community, culture and unique identity.
However, would a Jewish man 'Re-claim' or Re-create the word NAZI?
with an alternative spelling (Nartzee) and claim it now means something good?
(let that sink in)
our aim since early 1900's has been about re claiming that which we owned
and have lost, making up for lost time, as a people progressing.
Not only materially, but mentally. - a mental condintion in which
'Language' plays an extremely important part of!
So the question is, is it PROGRESSIVE?
to create a word / re-defining a word with such detrimental, negative,
deep rooted history, thus making the effect of it's use to
the human mind, one of disgust / an almost negative-nostalgic feeling
towards on one hand, (white persons) guilt....
and more prevalently the black persons memories of (oppression, subjugation)
NO.
There is NO VICTORY nor any progression in 'using' the 'N WORD'
Slavery doesn't now never exist because we re-defined a word...
in fact more people are offended by it's use than accept the term
Most importantly we as a black people are still living in low income - dysfunctional - drug ridden communities, worse of in 2014, than in 1930
only better off economically by 1% in 150+ years!!!! ....
we've won Fuck all,
yet we're here thinking the word NIGGA (re-defined) is some sort of medal..
The real victory is progression, not just freedom, not just working for the white dream, not just one or two black actors and sports starts making it big,
but collective economical, political, social and educational progress..
No degree of re-appropriating this word, can rid it of it's blood soaked history.
- Jason Millstein
Legality
So, (in England anyway) the word nigga, referred to as the 'N word',
has become a kinda taboo subject, rapped in guilt & selective condemnation,
yet continuous contradictory admissions.
- You can turn on your radio after 10pm and hear the word NIGGA un-censored,
yet before 10pm, a tune may not even make it to the A or B list for too many references to the word NIGGA. - immediately creates confusion amongst the young generation.
As an artist, (i used to Mc/Rap) i know, you can go on live radio and say NIGGA
as apart of your lyric, yet not in direct conversation with (for e.g) the show host.
furthermore, you can not swear what so ever, yet can say NIGGA when preforming... - Again creates confusion.
Why, because when left to the white owner or editor, he has no policy on
what actual authority he has to tell a black person, to or not to use the word NIGGA. - Is it a swear word? isn't it... nobody knows...
Legally, if a white man or any other race not of African Caribbean decent, uses the term NIGGA or NIGGER regardless of it's desired context, can be fined or jailed.
So who can say it & who can't ?
let's not kid ourselves, even if everyone in the world was to read this blog
the N word wouldn't disappear from most vocabularies over night.
so the more prominent and immeadete issue is who's not aloud to use it...?
When we commercialise our slang, those not black, yet into our culture
are susceptible to repeat our terms and cultural traits to on the most part 'fit in',
on that basis who can blame white people for mistakenly using the 'N Word'
See only black people, ignorantly use a word we say is kool on one hand
then on basis of double standard, (triple if you count Nigger)
...when used by a non black person, we attack and condemn.
we can not, play ball with a rock.
demand respect, and value for our lifes, yet continuously promote confusion
and contradictory culture & terminology.
Problem is, we were too busy thinking there was some sort of
victory in using NIGGA,
we forgot that there would be cultural / social repercussions.
in the end, the egg again is on our face for ever using it in the first place....
furthermore, ok-ing our (white or other) friends to use it, because they know us.
really?
remember if that slave ship came back tomorrow, your white friend
...would not be on board!
Here's the worst example....
in 2010 a white male from Bristol (England) was found not guilty and acquitted of racism, when he repeatedly shouted the word NIGGA down from the top floor of a building to a group of black men, he then however declared he thought it was ok to use it, (in negative context), because his favourite hip hop rapper used it, and it was used habitually in his local area....
This is the first judge to of deemed the use of a racist slander -
ambiguous and unclear of definition.
So you see, this effects more than just if black people, use of term,
endearingly or not...
"If Eminem used the word 'nigga' in a rap tommorow, he would be condemned
and shunned from the rap community, period." -Unkown
Richard Pryor
on coming back from africa said...
You know, I was leavin’ (africa) and I was sittin in a hotel a voice came to me and said,
“Look around. What do you see?”
And I said, “I see all colors of people doing everything.” You know? And the voice said, “Do you see any niggas?” And I said, “No.” And it said, “You know why? Cause there aren’t any.”
It hit me, like a shot man. I started crying and shit, I was sittin there and I said: “I been here three weeks and I haven’t even said it. I haven’t even thought it.” And it made me think: “aw my God, I been wrong. I been wrong. I got to regroup my shit. I mean, I said, I ain’t never gonna call another Black man nigga.” [applause]
You know? Cause we never was no niggas. That’s a word that’s used to describe our own wretchedness and we perpetuate it now, cause it’s dead. That word’s dead. We men and women. We came from…we come from the first people on the earth!
Drop it out or nah?
It's not even a deep conversation, this is
very simple, there are far too many other words, including a persons actual NAME created to alternatively use,
do not be consumed by modern day ignorance,
don't follow the crowd, think, speak, stand out and influence others,
not necessarily towards what's socially accepted, but that which is foremost to the
better for your people.
Train yourself, (by Travelling/reading/studying your people)
so that your mind instantly drops out any suggestion of potentially damaging or challenging the position of your people,
Go by gut instinct, we all respect and love our true friends, thus our terminology should configure accordingly, again alternatives include...
KING
BROTHER
(their name)
MATE
HOMIE
FELLA
SON
BREDWIN
CUZZIE
FAM
QUEEN
SISTER
EMPRESS
Nothing ambiguous nor too far gone about it, You and those around you
can change how you communicate with each other instantly!
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I challenge you...
We want to see our people rise, progress and finally shake off the chains from slavery, let us start by respecting ourselves? then we will be taken seriously!
so i challenge you to not say NIGGA for one month....!!!!???
then if you find it rewarding continue, and challenge your people...
watch the change in confidence and awareness you install in yourself and more notably when you call another black man a KING or a woman a QUEEN.
The bond you form when addressing a friend as BROTHER, or a woman as SISTER....there is no argument, if we know better... then do better.
Go for it....
Good man
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