McWhorter on "Negro" [Was: on "Negro English"]

[Seán Fitzpatrick]

Perhaps, in  the sense that "Negro" was pronounced nigra, which did double
duty as the dialectically and socially acceptable mincing of nigger.

Sean Fitzpatrick
Mais où sont les neiges d'antan?
I blame Global Warming.
http://www.logomachon.blogspot.com/



-----Original Message-----
From: Joel S. Berson [mailto:Berson at ATT.NET]
Sent: Monday, January 18, 2010 7:56 PM
Subject: Re: McWhorter on "Negro" [Was: on "Negro English"]

At 1/18/2010 12:20 PM, Bill Palmer wrote:
>When I was growing up in Virginia in the 1950's, the few blacks I had
>conversations with, routinely used "colored".

Was this because there "Negro" sounded to much like "Nigger"?  So
"colored" was the term of choice among the other possibilities?

Joel


>The local newspapers in all news stories involving blacks had the word
>"negro" following the name.  This practice ended sometime in the 60's I
>believe.
>
>My great aunt and uncle (natives of KY, born in late 1800's) routinely used
>"darky", and my wife's aunt, native of SW Georgia, born around 1890
>routinely used  the term even when in the presence of blacks.  Other than
>those examples, Stephen Foster was the only person I ever heard use that
>term.
>
>Bill Palmer

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