Racial epithet makes news

[Charles C Doyle]

A problem with our discussion--and with dictionary entries--is the confusion of spelling with pronunciation.  Surely the (predictable) pronunciation variant [Inj at n] existed well before the spelling "Injun" began appearing in printed documents.  But when did the pronunciation [Inj at n] become a distinguishable lexeme--or did the lexeme "Injun" arise from writers' attempt at "dialect" spelling?

It's worth noting that Chairman Steele uttered the phrase; he didn’t write it!  Does [Inj at n] possibly still occur as a pronunciation of the word "Indian"?  Would "Honest Indian" be less offensive than "Honest Injun" (as either spelled or pronounced)?

As for the somewhat analogous "Nigra":  The OED labels the form "usually offensive."  As I commented years and years ago in _American Speech_, the label is problematical, ambiguous.  Does the "offense" inhere in the effect or in the intent of what has been a standard (phonologically regular) pronunciation of the word "Negro"?  One thing that is certainly offensive is the intent of the SPELLING of the word to mark a speaker as racist, low-class, or stupid for his employment of the (largely regional) pronunciation.

--Charlie


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