Bishes and niggaz
| March 16, 2009 | Filled under Blog |
Been thinkin’ about etymology a lot lately.
The n-word, for example, makes me extremely uncomfortable. Why is it that “bitch” can be appropriated by women (myself included) and it doesn’t seem derogatory, but “nigger/nigga,” when appropriated by Blacks, still causes me to cringe?
Maybe it’s because “bitch” connotes traits that in men are seen as assets: assertiveness, strong-willfulness, full of bravado and of unwavering opinions.
“Nigger,” on the other hand, connotes traits no one would be proud of.
