Most people know the term, jungle fever, to mean attraction between black and white people. But where does this term come from? On it’s face, it doesn’t really make sense. What is it about a jungle that helps explain black/white sexual attraction? I don’t get it. Hence the question.
Disparaging term, monkeys come from the jungle.
I always assumed it was a racial slur in the sense that “Black people come from the jungle because they are subhuman monkeys” way that bigots like to use.
Ahhhh, thank you! Ignorance fought, I had no idea.
I think it has something to do with “The Law of the Jungle,” as opposed to civilized society. You can sleep with anyone you want, and without the benefit of clergy. The “Law of the Jungle” is also cited when in crisis situations, people steal food from other people, or break other laws of society, because society has broken down due to the crisis.
I’ve heard that term a lot when I was a teen and I never used it because I thought it was distasteful and possibly racist. If what you say is true, I’m glad my suspicions of the term were correct.
I’ve always assumed the term comes from this connection, that black people are from the jungle. See the term “jungle bunny” for black person, for example. Or a parallel construction in the term “yellow fever” (Asian fetishization.)
Jungle is from Hindi jangal; it means uncultivated land, particularly heavily grown or overgrown uncultivated land. It came into English in the late 18th century. It wasn’t until the second half of the nineteenth century that it came to be applied to such land in Africa.
Jungle fever in the nineteenth century was any remitting/relapsing fever associated with tropical countries, particularly malaria.
I don’t know when it first acquired the sense of sexual attraction to a black person. I’ve only ever come across it in this sense in the title of the 1991 Spike Lee film; it may be an Americanism.
I thought it was much earlier than the Spike Lee film, but a search only brought up one result, although it’s a goodie.
There is also the 1971 song jungle fever lyrics - Google Search
I’ve got jungle fever, she’s got jungle fever
We’ve got jungle fever, we’re in love
She’s gone black-boy crazy, I’ve gone white-girl hazy
Ain’t no thinking maybe, we’re in love
She’s got jungle fever, I’ve got jungle fever
We’ve got jungle fever, we’re in love
I’ve gone white-girl crazy, she’s gone black-boy hazy
We’re each other’s baby, we’re in love…
I’m 72 years old and pretty savvy about words and phrases. I didn’t/don’t know that it means “attraction between black and white people.” It certainly never meant that to me in the 1950s-1990s. Still doesn’t.
I’m about to turn 50, and knew that phrase to mean black-white attraction for most of my life.
Grew up in NY/NE in the 1970-80s
Great cite. Just not in my view growing up.
Interesting- where did you grow up?
The lyrics quoted here are from the Stevie Wonder song Jungle Fever, which dates from 1991, not 1971. (In fact it’s the title track to the Spike Lee movie.)
There is a 1971 Jungle Fever by the Chakachas, a Belgian group. While it’s definitely about sex, it’s hard to say that it’s about race. The lyrics consist largely of moans; the few words that can be made out don’t refer to race or colour.
You’re right- I was looking st both and put wrong date with the song I was quoting.
You’re right- I was looking st both and put wrong date with the song I was quoting.
Interestingly, this cite meaning - What does "Jungle Fever" mean? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange says it’s more about Forbidden love, which black-white love was. 1991 lyrics back this concept up.
Per Partridge’s Dictonary of Slang, it doesn’t mean simply black-white attraction, but rather attraction by whites to blacks (not vice versa).
Partridge gives a date of origin as 1990, but I think I heard the term well before the Spike Lee movie came out. I did not, however, hear it growing up in the Bronx in the 1960s or in college in the 1970s. All of Partridge’s cites are after the movie.
I have vague memories of its use in late 70s early 80s, as a preteen/teen.
Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang says the term goes back to the 60s. Since linking to Google Books can be a little wonky, here’s the definition it gives: