# I just watched Gandhi. Help me understand this slur.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 23, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306 "2005-08-23T19:08:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/1 "2005-08-23T19:08:08Z")
After completing a self-guided reading of _The Bhagavad Gita_ for class, I put some “Indian-themed” movies on my Netflix list. I just finished \*Gandhi \*last night. Wonderful, powerful, moving. Kingsley was fantastic.
But I have a question: what is the origin of the racial slur “sammy”? As much as I’ve enjoyed ( :rolleyes: ) googling racial slurs, I can’t seem to find an answer. I’ve never heard it before, ever. Can anyone explain?
Also, I’m open to any other Indian movies and/or biographies you might suggest on Gandhi. Do you suppose the movie accurately captured his excellent sense of humor? Thanks.
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### Author:  [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/2 "2005-08-23T19:20:21Z")
It comes from “swami”, Hindi for “master”. It was South African slang for an Indian.
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### Author:  [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/3 "2005-08-23T20:00:01Z")
Ah. Odd. They were so rude to him on that train.
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### Author:  [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/4 "2005-08-23T20:14:22Z")
What’s odd about their rudeness?
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/5 "2005-08-23T20:14:46Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#):
>
> It comes from “swami”, Hindi for “master”. It was South African slang for an Indian.
Are you sure about that etymology?
I had always assumed that it referred to [_Little Black Sambo_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Black_Sambo).
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### Author:  [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/6 "2005-08-23T20:20:46Z")
I had heard the other origin, but that’s possible.
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### Author:  [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/7 "2005-08-24T19:22:45Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#):
>
> What’s odd about their rudeness?
Sorry, I meant it was odd that the term came from a Hindi word.
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### Author:  [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/8 "2005-08-24T19:44:58Z")
> [@RitzyRae](#):
>
> Sorry, I meant it was odd that the term came from a Hindi word.
Oh, ok. Although, remember that the South African slur for blacks, “kaffir”, came from an Arabic word.
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### Author:  [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/9 "2005-08-25T02:44:21Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#):
>
> Are you sure about that etymology?
>
> I had always assumed that it referred to [_Little Black Sambo_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Black_Sambo).
Thanks,\*\* Larry Mudd.\*\* I finally got a chance to read about _Little Black Sambo_. I’d never heard of this book, and I may try to find it at the library just out of curiosity.
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/10 "2005-08-25T06:35:07Z")
> [@RitzyRae](#):
>
> I’d never heard of this book, and I may try to find it at the library just out of curiosity.
You can read the original illustrated version online [here](http://www.sterlingtimes.co.uk/sambo.htm). It’s a quick read, and if you have time, you can even check out the cover illustrations from some of the author’s less memorable stories, such as:
_Little Black Mingo
Little Black Quibba
Little Black Quasha
Little Black Bobtail_
and the more experimental:
_Little White Squibba_.
(You can read the text of _Little Black Mingo_ [here](http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext98/sambo11.txt).)
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### Author:  [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/11 "2005-08-25T14:58:03Z")
Interesting-- the plot of _Little Black Sambo_ was kinda cute. I liked how the tigers were so wrapped up in arguing about who was the grandest that Sambo was able to get all of his clothes back. However, I can see how the names and illustrations would offend. Thanks for those links.
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/12 "2005-08-25T15:11:06Z")
> [@RitzyRae](#):
>
> Interesting-- the plot of _Little Black Sambo_ was kinda cute. I liked how the tigers were so wrapped up in arguing about who was the grandest that Sambo was able to get all of his clothes back. However, I can see how the names and illustrations would offend. Thanks for those links.
Kids used to call me Little Black Sambo when I was a keebler. Because of my last name. I’m not even _part_ black. Go figure.
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### Author:  [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-gandhi-help-me-understand-this-slur/318306/13 "2005-08-25T15:42:45Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#):
>
> Kids used to call me Little Black Sambo when I was a keebler. Because of my last name. I’m not even _part_ black. Go figure.
Keebler like elf? Or keebler like small child? Were you ever mugged by tigers who demanded your clothing?
Oh – and now my husband confesses that he \*had \*the book as a small child! Thanks for sharing so late in the game now, dear. :dubious: