Why do people dislike this word?

Question

I understand that "n*****" developed a negative connotation in the 20th century, but how did "knee-grow" become a bad word, too? (And yes, I know I spelled it wrong, but everytime I try to post this question with it spelled correctly, it doesn't show up.) What happened to make it this way? I'm just curious, because in Spanish, "knee-grow" means "black," and no one seems to have a problem with calling blacks "knee-grows" in Spanish. I know that we're all members of the human race, but if there were a situation in which one had to refer to race, what would be the preferred term? This question is not intended to offend anyone; I just would like to hear some opinions. Thank you.

Answer 1

I actually feel awkward every time I say African American...i just feels like I'm forced to say it and its unnatural to me. I would prefer to say Black...much as I say I am White...not Irish-American. I hate political correctness...a lot.

Answer 2

I have noticed that politcal correctness in that area has become excessive. Even calling someone black to differentiate is taboo on tv, to the point that Jamaicans are referred to as "African American." However, I once looked up knee-grow on a latin dictionary and it seemed to have more of a dark connotation, and another word was used for just the color.

Answer 3

The pronunciation in Spanish is naygro, meaning the color black, not knee grow. The word does not refer to race. The word became antiquated and was used in hate rhetoric.

Answer 4

to be honest i dont know how the word came to be so offensive.
i am dutch, and the dutch equivalent of the word for n***** is neger. this word is used by black people and white people alike, and it is not offensive over here.

it mostlikely has something to do with how the word was used in the southern us during the slaveryperiod (and shortly thereafter)

and the way the word is used by white supremacists like the kukluxklan.

over exposure of a word in bad circumstances could have made it offensive to the black community.

Answer 5

SAT and ACT. 3 years of prep and that i'm unwell and tired of it. i prefer to go on yet I nevertheless have 2 months earlier the tests are distributed. interior the mean time, I have been given new e book to coach in. different than that, I do rather dislike the be conscious Shakespear...

Answer 6

ok you really have to ask i would think you know it is slang for the other word you should never use either word for no reason you were right we are all apart of the human race lets not define any race with any type of name that offends them

Answer 7

im not black or anything, but personally according to things that i have read and learned, white people, did not use that word in the right way before, and they made slaves of people and insulted their pride and dignity
people dont like it, because it reminded them of once, how americans , british, germans, the white race, once were intellectual and at the same time barbaric

Answer 8

the word had become unfashionable because of rampant political correctness. People have become so afraid of offending someone that even a word as innocuous as ***** has become politically incorrect.

Answer 9

i have nothing against black people but i think that it has to do with the black community finding any reason to get mad or to blame someone of being racist because of their past. I also believe that its so closley related to the word "n-i-g-g-e-r", {no offense to anyone} that afrian americans find it insulting. i dont think that others so go around saying n-e-g-r-o becuase it it not their name. i also dont believe that we should judge others by their skin color but by their personality. yes, n-e-g-r-i-t-o-s is what we call black people in spanish but that is a way of idenifying the "gringo" from the "mexican" to the "n-e-g-r-i-t-o." its nothing personal. i just dont approve of going around calling people "hey white person" or "hey n-e-g-r-o" its politically wrong.


someone made a comment that wesay moreno to identifyblack people. moreno means of darker skin color but that is not widely used. its n-e-g-r-i-t-o meaning black person. n-e-g-r-o would be refering to the color black.

Answer 10

I do not really care what you call me as long as it was respectful, like anyone else. African american people can change thier preference anytime about this, one will tell ya *****, one will say African American, others say Afro-American yaddie yaddie yaddah.....I personally do not care I'm comfortable with me to accept any of it.