Props

[Salikoko S. Mufwene]

There is an interesting chapter on the N-word (also used as a modifier in some compounds) by Arthur Spears, in AFRICAN-AMERICAN ENGLISH (ed. by Mufwene, Rickford, Bailey, & Baugh 1998). While the editors were readying the book for publication, we polled some African-American linguists and non-linguists about the acceptability of the word used by an African American to refer to, or address, another African American. The vote was split along no clear party lines, for various reasons. I find Dennis Preston's story quite consistent with that editorial experience. Opinions about African Americans who use the term vary too in the AA community, and sometimes there are interesting characterizations for users of the term. I also remember a conference where two AA scholars complained about a Caucasian scholar who, according to them, exhibited some pleasure in reading the term from a source other than her paper. The bottom line is, there is quite some variability about the usage and acceptability of the term. This is a case where sociolinguists may want to put the notion of network well into practice. Unless you are 100 % sure, don't assume that your facial expression will convey the meaning (social or whatever) you intended. The semantics and pragmatics of N-words and compounds thereof seem to be quite elusive and dangerously slippery.

Sali.

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Professor  Salikoko S. Mufwene
ellssm at nus.edu.sg (until Nov. 30, 2001)
65-779-1175 (Home); 65-874-3919 (Office)
Fax: 65-773-2981
I also receive email addressed  to s-mufwene at uchicago.edu
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at PILOT.MSU.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 11:07 PM
Subject: Re: Props


| I can date it to at least 1969, Columbus, Ohio. Three
| African-American kids were riding in my car in what was to them an
| unfamilair white neighborhood. A funny looking old geezer (white) was
| walking along the street. (Before anyone take offense, I am a funny
| looking old white geezer, so I get to say it in solidarity with all
| FLOWGs). One of the kids said "Look at the funny looking old nigger!"
| The other kids looked and laughed and did not react at all to the
| usage. When I asked them about it later, they said they often used
| the word to refer to a strange or outlandish person (among other
| uses), regardless of race. When the same kid used it around his
| mother later (in a related sense, although the context did not mkake
| it as clear that race was not involved) she shot him a nasty look,
| since she obviously did not want the word used in my presence. The
| pronunciation was, by the way, r-full.
|
| dInIs
|
| >>dn't be used by whites.
| >>
| >>While the hip-hop 'nigga' makes for an easily identifiable alternative to
| >>'nigger', and is generally seen as a positive black-on-black use, rather
| >>than the pejorative 'nigger', 'nigger', irrespective of spelling, has been
| >>used in a positive manner long before 1991.
| >
| >
| >Before I get more misunderstandings, I better clarify. Non-racial use
| >is not black-on-black or positive, which is ancient. It means the
| >term is used to mean roughly "dude." I'm Jewish, and I've been
| >referred to by it. You can get expressions like "No, not Paul, it's
| >that White nigga" or "Chinese nigga."
| >
| >I could use it too, but it would elicit some odd looks unless they
| >knew I was "playin'" , much as if I used "mad" meaning "a lot" since
| >I'm (1) not a hip-hopper and (2) old. If I went around doing it, I
| >would be accused of being fake not racist.
| >--
| >Michael Newman
| >Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics
| >Dept. of Linguistics and Communication Disorders
| >Queens College/CUNY
| >Flushing, NY 11367
|
| --
| Dennis R. Preston
| Department of Linguistics and Languages
| Michigan State University
| East Lansing MI 48824-1027 USA
| preston at pilot.msu.edu
| Office: (517)353-0740
| Fax: (517)432-2736
|