Talk:Nigga

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It is a shame that many of you have no idea what nigga means

I'm a 48 year old white male who grew up with blacks during the height of the civil rights movement from the mid 60's through the 70's in northeast Texas. The term is ambiguous even when used amongst blacks, but the words intent is derived by context in which it is used. In general it is a generic term used by most streetwise blacks, when addressing someone else - usually another black, but not necessarily always. Use of the word by non blacks to another black should be discouraged unless you are known and respected by blacks in your community. While I can get away with using 'nigga' in my neighborhood, it doesn't mean I can go outside my neighborhood and use the term to blacks I do not know. But even this depends upon the circumstances in which it is used. A white rapper may get away with it, because he/she may think 'black' and have the same attitudes. So its use would not be considered a racial slur. The word 'nigga' was used well before Hip Hop came into vogue, though in recent years Hip Hop may be the vehicle used to influence non blacks to say the word because they identify with the artist(s) who use it.

The use of the word 'nigga' from middle class to lower class blacks across the USA is almost universal. While some blacks may claim they are offended by the use of 'nigga', they are a minority. 'Nigga' and 'Nigger' are in general 'NOT' the same. A white may get away with using 'nigga', but if he/she uses 'nigger', this will most definitely invoke a most unpleasant response. 'Nigga' 'Niggaz' (plural) are somewhat synonymous with 'dog' or 'dogz'. "Yo Dog wots sup", or "Yo Nigga wots sup" are not always the same, as some may consider the use of the word 'dog' to denote a really close friendship verses just 'nigga' which is more generic. Yet a bitter enemy would also be referred to as 'nigga' or rarely 'nigger'. So in the end, the use of the word 'nigga' is generic and has no specific meaning other than referring to or addressing someone in generic terms. The term 'nigga probably began as a way to lessen the negative connotations from being called a 'nigger' by whites. Many blacks believe the word 'nigger' can be applied to anyone, even whites, and as such cannot/should not be used in the same context as 'nigga'. Words referring to whites such as 'whiteboy','whitey','peckerwood','cracker','honky' are in the same category as 'nigger'. Whites have no equivalent word to 'nigga' but in recent years, whites and other ethnic groups are using the word in the same context as blacks.

12.28.68.180 10:29, 16 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Please note that Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia, not a forum for expressing your opinion. Please provide reliable sources, not simply your personal experience. Thanks. Rockpocket 05:33, 17 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What up Niggaz! --68.14.141.146 20:12, 13 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There are many African-Americans/Blacks who don't like the term

The article is definitely biased, as many African-Americans, like myself, do not care for the word in any of its forms. Moreover, many believe it a racist term no matter who uses it.

This article definitely needs to be updated in that aspect.--Joel Lindley 01:29, 16 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you read the article, you would be aware that it makes exactly that point. Hence I'm removing the POV tag. Rockpocket 03:40, 17 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I read the article, and it now shows references. NOTE: There were no references, which is why the tags were put up in the first place. In any event, I applaud the effort to give a well-rounded view of the controversial term.--Joel Lindley 05:23, 17 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sorry, i appreciate when you added the tag, this information may not have been present. Sadly, this article tends to regress pretty quickly. This evening i've worked the article back to around the state it has been in in the past (when there was references). Rockpocket 05:37, 17 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No problem. :)--Joel Lindley 05:38, 17 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Merge with Nigger article or not?

"Nigga" should not be redirected to "nigger" as they are completely different words, spelled completely differently, and have completely different meanings.

I disagree, I propose a redirect to this section of the "nigger" article, which deals with "nigga" much better than this article. -70.130.139.249 04:00, 1 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But you can't redirect to a section. This is a defect in MediaWiki, filed as bug 218. If readers are going to want to look up "nigga", and editors are going to want to link to "nigga", would splitting that section off into a new article to replace this article work around the problem until bug 218 is fixed? --Damian Yerrick (☎) 00:26, 26 April 2006 (UT

I think a better option would be a seperate article like it is now but with a link to Nigger. Nigga and Nigger have different meanings. --RND 11:26, 24 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I want to point out that the word may be the same word just interpreted differently from different points of view. This word is at the very core of the cultural differences between blacks and whites in america. Don't forget that because someone pronounces a word differently because they have an accent doesn't mean they are speaking a different language or using different words. And of course people with different cultural viewpoints have different meanings behind their words. But it still means the same thing. A black person uses often in an endearing way because they are relating with it. For a white person to use it is out of place becuase it is perceived as derogatory, the white person almost can't convincingly use it to relate because of the historical relationship between our cultures. 70.94.40.191 04:21, 18 August 2006 (UTC)MKM[reply]

I disagree with you also because the word nigga comes from the root word called nigger and there wouldnt be the word nigga if there wasnt nigger. We know its spelled differently but its still means the same it means an African American person. This days we some poeple use it to refer to your best buddy or somethingt but its not right its a disrespect to African Amercan poeple. Also African American's get offended when they hear a non African American say that word so it really still have some roots to it.!! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 170.161.69.82 (talk • contribs)

True, "nigga" and "nigger" are related (as both < Spanish negro < Latin niger), but that would just make them doublets, not the same word. For example, the words "cow" and "beef" both come from a PIE word approximately *gwou, but they're definitely not the same word. The bone of contention is how far along these etymological twins are on their divergence --Damian Yerrick (☎) 18:25, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I do not think "Nigga" and "Nigger" should be merged or redirected. They have evolved into two very different words and while sharing a history, have substantial differences in their basis. "Negro" gave us "nigger." "Nigger" eventually brought us to "nigga." At some point, we have to recognize their differences and stop trying to lump every word starting with "nigg..." together. I think a reference to its origins is sufficient, without merging it with "Nigger." Wikipikiliki

No, nigger and nigga are two completely different words - daniel

I think they shouldn't be merged because they have 2 different meanings

"Nigger" is always a racial slur "Nigga" is not-- 69.242.77.127 02:17, 23 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The section of Nigger that I suggested be merged into Nigga concerned the word "nigga" and its relationship to "nigger".--Damian Yerrick (☎) 14:56, 4 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

By combining them it tells people what they both mean and why it is or isnt ok for the word to be said.

And these 2 articles shouldn't be merged.--Bonafide.hustla 05:08, 28 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nigga is used normally by black people like "He's my nigga". It's like a guy saying "she's my bitch". Nigger was used as a racial slur to black people by white slave masters. They specifically used that word to disgrace them. Nigga is more friendly. --66.218.22.254 23:59, 3 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The two terms should not be merged, because (as has been already pointed out), they are two different words, with two different connotations. Just because one word comes from the other is no reason to merge the two. Many different words, in many different languages have origins in other words, but are treated as separate words because they have separate meanings. That said, this article could use a good cleanup to make it reach encyclopedic standards.Spylab 20:42, 22 September 2006 (UTC)Spylab[reply]

I deleted the merge tag because the majority here have opposed such a merge.Spylab 21:06, 22 September 2006 (UTC)Spylab[reply]

I believe the articles should not be merged. The widespread use of the varient, the potential gulf in implied meaning between the two, and the fact that this article is now in quite a decent, stand alone state argues, for me, that they should remain apart. Rockpocket 05:46, 17 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hispanic-American

Hispanics are of many races: Caucasians (Spaniards, Argentinians, Uruguayans, Chileans), Negroids (Dominicans), Monogoloids (various Asian areas), and mestizos (mixed peoples of Mexico, Guatemala, etc). So stop putting Hispanic-Americans alongsid races. Hispanic is not a RACE! Casey14 17:26, 30 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Citation, or something.

"As of 2006, the word nigga is used, without intentional prejudice, among all races of people in the USA, including African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and more recently by some Caucasians."

What? This needs to be removed or rwwritten, because it is just... completely untrue. Americans don't walk about casually referring to eachother as, "nigga". In fact, I have only heard this word used in conversations between obvious gang-members; even then, rarely between anyone who is not black. Someone fix this. --67.181.131.193 19:15, 9 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I completely agree with this statement. When do you hear white people calling africans "niggas" to their faces? Rarely, that is when. It is completely unacceptable. The contributer didn't even cite his/her work. Not to mention that it was ridiculous. This kind of vandilism gives wikipedia a bad name! Therefore , I removed this garbage. If that user wants to put that statement back in the article then they need to find credible sources to support it. J Dogg 02:31, 27 June 2006 (UTC)J Dogg[reply]

Being black and asian I don't like either word and darn right it does give wikipedia a bad name.--- the word nigga is used, without intentional prejudice, among all races of people in the USA, including African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and more recently by some Caucasians is just not correct, not at the campus I attend or the area I'm from. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.31.45.169 (talk • contribs)

Please read the comment below. With respect, your opinion or experience has little relevence when there is verifiable sources the say otherwise. Rockpocket 05:46, 28 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Just because it isn't cited, does not make it vandalism. Just because you don't associate with people that use the term, it doesn't make it untrue. Please request sources in future before removing content. In this case, there are plenty of verifiable sources that note the word being increasingly used without malice by non African Americans, e.g [1] [2] [3] [4] and every more anecdotal evidence [5] [6]. Therefore i'm going to restore the section. Rockpocket 04:06, 27 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Messages to Rockpocket

Dear Rockpocket, I apologize. I had no right to erase your hard work and effort. I admit I got carried away and for this I am sorry. I also agree that you are right, just because I don't agree with the statement doesn't mean that it is vandilism. I was completely wrong. However, I decided to check out your sources and I have a small problem with the statement, "As of 2006, the word nigga is used, without intentional prejudice, among all races of people in the USA, including African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and more recently by some Caucasians." I read the four sources that you provided and while I did see that the usage of the word is on the rise, nowhere that I saw, did any of the articles say that it is used without prejucice other than between africans (and in some cases a small number of non-africans). The fact still remains however, that most africans still see the word as an insult. It is only a minority of the african community that approves of the word's use by non-africans. This view is depicted in the articles that you provided. In the sources you provided, several people of african decent, said that they were completely against the word's use, both by africans and non-africans. Also in the article, a survey done in an American city resulted in mixed feelings about the word's use. The source I am refering to is " "New Word Order" [[7]]

I think that the passage,"As of 2006, the word nigga is used, without intentional prejudice, among all races of people in the USA,", needs to be re-worded. Therefore I will be re-wording the sentence, if nobody comes forward within the next day or two and convinces me that it is correct. J Dogg 20:05, 27 June 2006 (UTC)J Dogg[reply]

Hi J Dogg. No problem and thanks for your reply. I agree with your analysis regarding the widespread feeling that the word is insulting. However i think that point is aptly covered in the next paragraph:

"Many, however, continue to see the word as pejorative, and its use outside African-American communities remains controversial. Many African-Americans express offence when referred to as a nigga by Caucasian people, but not if they are called the same by other African-Americans. In this case, the term may be seen as a symbol of fraternity and its use outside a defined social group an unwelcome cultural appropriation. "

Perhaps another sentence indicating a lot of people disaprove of the word in any context, would be appropriate?

With regards to the term "without intentional predjudice", in this context i understand it to indicate that a minority of non African Americans using it are not doing so to be intentially insulting. It doesn't mean that others do not find it offensive, nor does it suggest that a majority of non african americans use the term in that way. I think the references back this up, e.g. "Many young blacks — and some young whites — increasingly use the word as a sign of friendship." [8] "I don't like to hear it from white and Spanish people, sounds like they are trying to be black or ghetto. They think they can fit in by using it." [9], "I've also heard some Puerto Ricans at my school use the term-I remember distinctly a Puerto Rican girl referring to her man as "my nigga." [10]. Each of these is a comment on use by non african americans "without intentional predjudice".

That said, if you can reword this article to improve it then please do so. I don't have a problem with that at all and i'm sure it could be worded better. However, i do believe we need some mention that some non African Americans do use the word in a non pejorative manner. Rockpocket 05:06, 28 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dear Rockpocket, I see your point with the term "without intentional predjudice" and you have convinced me. I also agree that the majority of the paragraph should remain unchanged, maybe even the whole paragraph is fine the way it is. And you are also right about adding another sentence to the paragraph about how many people still object to the word's use in any context. However, I don't really know what to say to improve the sentence. If you have any ideas you can leave them here or at my user page User: J Dogg. You are welcome for my reply and thank-you for your reply. Happy editing! J Dogg 20:03, 28 June 2006 (UTC) J Dogg[reply]

Dear Anyone....

Someone please either rewrite the Mind of Mencia section or cut it from the article. It is horribly written, and certainly does not accurately sum up the point of Carlos Mencia's sketch. I don't feel that I am the person to do this, but someone should. Vandalism is the correct spelling, by the way.

When did it come into use?

I think there should be at least one section on the article explaining when it first became fashionable for blacks to use the term amongst one another, as there seems to be confusion on the issue. Richard Pryor, for instance, used the term "nigger" in the exact same manner as many blacks today use "nigga" (Pryor even had an album called "That Nigger's Crazy!"). This was back in the 70's. It seems that it gradually switched to "nigga" sometimes in the 80's or possibly early 90's. There should be more ifnormation on this.

Sounds like a good idea, if you can find any reliable sources on the evolution of the term, then please feel free to add it. Rockpocket 05:32, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nigga should never used by non blacks

Nigga should never be used by non blacks period. The use of this word by a non black person will cause a racial confrontation if a black person was to hear them use it. The creator of this entry has lost his mind. I really think that he or she is trying to make it acceptable for non blacks to use it . Certain things should remain in thier propective communities and this word is one of them. Futher more I dont care how trendy the word seems If I was to be refered to by a non black person as nigga, those are fight words. B-Mack the great. — Preceding unsigned comment added by B-Mack (talk • contribs)

Please note that Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia, not a forum for expressing your opinion. The content is sourced and relevent and thus is a valid contribution to the article. Please do not remove content simply because you do not agree with what its subject. Thanks. Rockpocket 00:06, 26 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nah, on the real man, there ain't nothing wrong with non-blacks using the word nigga. It kinda substitute the meaning fo' "dawg", "homeboi", and simply just "friend". Nothin' offensive. If you say non black can't use it, it's gonna create a major problem 'cause then how can we call our friends? you call 'em like "waddup nigga?" even if they ain't black, so I really can't see the reason for banning this word.--Bonafide.hustla 05:07, 28 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I definitely agree that "nigga" is not a "black exclusive" word. Although I'm part black, I'm often regarded as "essentially white" by others due to being mostly mixed with it. I've often used the word "nigga" in front of people of nearly all races, and none have gotten offended.

Worldwide view template

I'm a bit puzzled at the presence of a worldwide view bias template on this article. The term is from African American Vernacular English, thus its hardly surprising the focus is on its use among African Americans in particular and Americans in general. If there is no objections here, i'll remove the template over the next few days. Rockpocket 06:11, 18 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cleanup

I cleaned up some of the writing, but this article still needs much improvement to bring it up to Wikipedia standards. One of the things I changed was the use of the word Caucasian as a term for white people. If you click on the Caucasian link, you will see that the term has several precise meanings, and that it is not a technically accurate term for white people.Spylab 21:09, 22 September 2006 (UTC)Spylab[reply]

Apocryphal Tupac quote

There is no source whatsoever on the alleged Tupac quote "Nigger - a black man with a slavery chain around his neck; Nigga - a black man with a gold chain on his neck." It was never a lyric in any of his songs, nor did he ever say that in any of his interviews. No one has ever found a reliable source for that quote, and, no, UrbanDictionary and geocities are not reliable sources. Until you find a reliable source, please keep it out of the article. 24.199.113.122 06:16, 13 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cleanup 2

I've tidied the entire article, removing the apocryphal content that couldn't be sourced, providing references for everything else. Rockpocket 05:31, 17 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]