Is the term "ese" in a nationality actually a slur?

Question

My Chinese students have told me that the foreigners originally defined Asian countries as being of lower importance, and hence catogorised them with the suffix "ese".

Examples of this area, Chinese, Japanese and Vienamese. Is there any truth in this, and if there is, who exactly was it that did the defining?

Answer 1

No, it is probably derived from the Italian -ese, from the Latin -ensis (deriving from). It is found in lots of names other from Europe: the Viennese Waltz - a dance from Vienna is an example. But also in Asia; Cambodian, Indonesian, Korean.

However, the term is used in a disparaging sense today when used satirically referring to an accent or a way of speech: "journalese" - the language of journalists, for example.

Answer 2

I don't think I agree with your Chinese students, even though the only non-Asian "-ese people" I can come up with are Portuguese and Senegalese.
I have a feeling that -ese is simply the equivalent of -ish (Irish, Polish, etc.) and that for reasons of pronunciation one or the other is chosen.
An English-scholar may be able to shed some light on this. Maybe there is one that reads this and cares to comment.

Answer 3

No, it isn't. The theory of your Chinese students is completely mistaken.

In what way would the suffix "-ese" indicate or suggest that the group referred to was of lower importance? It has no such connotation.

And what about Indians, Koreans, Filipinos, Indonesians, Thais, Pakistanis, Mongolians and other Asians not ending in "-ese"?

Answer 4

Of course not! Maybe they should study their geography a bit more i.e. Maltese, Senegalese, Portuguese; and also look at the historical linguistic origin of the suffix '-ese'. It probably came from Norman French; which to some would make it a more sophisticated suffix than the plain old English/North European -ish.

Answer 5

Lots of good answers here, especially the one right before mine. Give him the points. -ese is not an ethnic slur in any way, shape, or form. Portuguese, Lebanese, Maltese, Aragonese, have all been mentioned before as counterexamples to the "Asian" meaning.

Answer 6

The suffix ese generally refers to a language, but it also refers to a broad sweeping nationality.

Remember China is composed of sections and provinces like the US is with it's states. We are Americas by broad scope, but I am a Washintonian by locale.

So with China for example you would be referring to them as Chinese as a broad generalization, but they are most likely from one province or another.

The ese really has zero to do with slurs. There is the suffix -an, -ese, -en, -i, -ish, etc.

This would be like an Israeli saying its a slur to have -i at the end of their nationality.

They are just english suffixes used for nationality. If -ese just came from Asia, how come Portugal has it attached to their nationality as well?

Answer 7

No, "ese" comes from Latin "ensis". So Chinese is often Chinensis in Latin, for example in scientific names of plants. There is nothing derogatory about it. "ese" is the Italian equivalent of Latin "ensis". Italian of course is descended from colloquial Latin. Chinese in Italian is Cinese, the c being pronounced more or less like English ch.

Answer 8

Don't know, but 'esel' in Turkish means donkey, and the Turkish language is related to Chinese. Maybe someone got it wrong over the ages.

Answer 9

"Ese" mean 'that one' in Spanish. It can have a bad connotation depending on inflection or what word follows it.

H

Answer 10

Now you can tell your Chinese students what c r a p they're talking!