Newfie
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Newfie (also Newf or sometimes Newfy) is a colloquial, and sometimes pejorative, term used in Canada for someone who is from Newfoundland. It appears in a 1942 dictionary of slang; at the time, 'Newfie' was used as often to refer to Newfoundland itself as to people from Newfoundland (who were also 'Newfiers'). The term 'Newfie' has been applied to the Newfoundland people, the proper demonym for whom is Newfoundlander(s). It also can refer to items of Newfoundland origin such as:
- Newfie Bullet, a nickname created by U.S. military personnel serving at bases in Newfoundland during the Second World War for a notoriously slow passenger train operated on the island.
- Newfie Screech, a type of rum bottled in Newfoundland.
- Relatedly, Newfiejohn was the name used by some sailors for St. John's (the capital) while on convoy duty during the Second World War. [1]
[edit] Usage
The first edition of the Gage Canadian Dictionary, published in 1983, and the second edition of the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, published in 1987, both include usage notes describing the term 'Newfie' as offensive. However, neither the second edition of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, published in 2004, or the current edition of the Dictionary of Newfoundland English, published in 1998, make such a mention.[2]
Regardless, the terms 'Newf' or 'Newfie' are considered derogatory by many Newfoundlanders. Newfoundlanders are of different views as to whether the term 'Newf' is as derogatory as the term 'Newfie.' As with many ethnic groups saddled with pejorative terms, many Newfoundlanders use the terms to refer to themselves or to each other, and in this context they are much less offensive than when used by non-Newfoundlanders, or not offensive at all.
The word 'Newfie' is associated with 'Newfie jokes', typical Canadian ethnic jokes told and retold since the days of the American and Canadian military presence in Newfoundland during World War II. The jokes almost always depict Newfoundlanders as stupid, and lacking in sophistication or intelligence. Many such jokes are identical to ethnic jokes that are used to put down other groups. An insulting 'Newfie' joke can be considered the Canadian equivalent to American jokes depicting people from the Southern states as stupid. Within Newfoundland, 'Newfie jokes' usually contain characters of another ethnicity which underestimate the Newfie who will outsmart them, sometimes unknowingly, at the end of the joke.
In March 2006, an Edmonton police officer was disciplined for using the word Newphie [sic] to describe the apprehension of an individual under the Mental Health Act.[3] This explicitly derogatory usage is particularly prevalent in locations (such as northern Alberta) where large numbers of Newfoundlanders have migrated for economic opportunities.
In the 1970s, the Government of Alberta added the term 'Newfie' to a list of words not allowed to be used on personalised licence plates, reasoning that it was an ethnic slur and hateful. In 2006, a man from Newfoundland argued that it was also a source of pride, and fought to have the word removed from the list, and he eventually won. As of 2008, the ban has been lifted.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Dunlop, Daniel T. "The Sinking of U90". http://www.noac-national.ca/article/Dunlop/The_Sinking_of_U90.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-25.
- ^ "Newfie". Dictionary of Newfoundland English, 2nd ed. 1998. Story, G. M.; Kirwin, W. J.; & Widdowson, J. D. A., eds. ISBN 9780802068194. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
- ^ Edmonton Sun article reference
- ^ Alberta government approves NEWFIE licence plate
