Or how some Australians use the c-word as an endearment between friends. But sometimes words are respelled when used differently, eg leet vs elite.
Is AAVE rhotic?
Wow. I almost always agree with you Andy, but I sure don’t agree with this. Both spellings are vicious, awful slurs when used by white people.
There are two different (but related) words, with two different meanings. If it’s being used as a slur, then it’s being used in SAE, not AAVE. Even if it’s pronounced or spelled differently.
I am not convinced that the two “different” words are used differently. Specifically, I think that in every single case where the -a variant could be used, you could use the -er version interchangeably. You are not going to be accused of the wrong word for using proper diction.
I’m not quite fluent in AAVE, but I’m pretty sure this is incorrect for that dialect. For SAE, it would likely sound very awkward pronounced incorrectly (even more so than the slur normally would), depending on the accent.
If you pronounce one word in contrast to the rest of the accent you’re using, regardless of the word or accent, it’s going to sound very awkward. I’m not convinced that that’s a difference in the word’s meaning.
I hadn’t used the word since enlisting in the military in the late 80’s. Now, I have a biracial son. I remember when he came home from school at the age of 7 or 8 and asked why some other kids called him an “Oreo”. Once my anger settled, I explained to him that it was something ignorant people called mixed race people and that it was just words. I decided to make him more comfortable with ethnic slurs so my wife and I would sprinkle the N-word in conversation, not in a derogatory manner, but in general ways (N-rigged something or singing along to the lyrics of a hip hop song). He would laugh and call us racist, but took it in stride. We don’t do it anymore now that he’s grown and isn’t easily offended.
Never used outside of an academic context. I’m trying to recall first being exposed to the word. Not from my peers. Maybe when my mother was telling me about racism.
In my sixties. Used the word as a child, generally in jokes, or the rhyme mentioned by many posters, or similar. In mitigation, I grew up in West Cumbria (UK - actually, it was Cumberland in those days) which was … how can I put this without causing offence? I guess I must have seen actual non-white people for the first time on vacation, probably at the start of my teens. We lived in complete cultural ignorance. I’m sure I never even linked the word to a person or a people, at the time.
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“Niggers are always telling nigger lies and spreading nigger diseases!”
No one has ever used “nigga” like this.
“That’s my nigga over there. We’re like brothers. We go way back.”
No one has ever used "nigger’ like this.
“Nigga, you will never believe what that nigga Trump did today! I swear, niggas are suffering because of that nigga.”
No one has ever used “nigger” like this.
“Nigga, please! You done lost your mind.”
No one has ever used “nigger” like this.
“I’m going to kill that nigga!”
"Nigger definitely works in this context. So a white person really should reach for another word unless they are in a Quentin Tarantino film. Or they want everyone to think they’re racist.
I think a white person should avoid “nigga” in general. But “nigga passes” are a thing in youth culture.
“No one has ever used X like this.”
I don’t believe these assertions for one single microscopic second. All you have accomplished is to convince me that you are basing your argument on linguistic drift that, while it may be occurring (maybe), has not occurred in the stark and complete manner you believe.
Bro, have you ever used the word “nigga”? Because I have. And I hear it being used all the time. You can call what I’m saying an “assertion”, but I’m not impressed at all by your skepticism because it seems to be something borne out of pendantry rather than lived experience.
I have…I’ve used it when reading aloud. I’ve used it when making a point about other offensive words - since there is a whole list of words I find just as offensive that refer to someone’s race, religion, gender or sexual preference (and I DO find it horribly offensive). If you are going to use the c-word, or the k-word or the f-word, just go ahead and use the n-word as well - why pull just that one single punch.
I’m white, bro. I don’t use the N-word, be it in the AAVE pronunciation or otherwise.
Every shred of AAVE speech I’ve been exposed to in my life has freely used “nigger” in the way you’re using “nigga”, though. If you can say one, you can say the other, because it’s a pronunciation difference.
And let’s be frank - you can’t prove otherwise. That would be proving a negative - you can’t prove that there is nobody out there that is neglecting to drop their r’s. And since I don’t expect you to prove a negative, there’s no point in continuing this.
(Honestly we’ve about reached the limits of my interest in this tangent anyway. Per the OP, saying “What’s up my nigger” isn’t the use of the word he’s asking about anyway.)
That’s a mention, or a reference, but not a use, of the word.
Whatever you say. I trust that you know AAVE so much better than I do.
And let’s be frank - you can’t prove otherwise.
It’s great that I’m not trying to prove anything, then. I’m just telling you you’re wrong.
Your opinion is noted. Peace out.
No, I don’t. I may have used it “academically”, but that’s the only thing I can think of. Nor “nigga”.
Well I don’t know about fringy, but it certainly sounds like nonsense. Plus, aren’t people also getting shit for books not being diverse enough?
Textbook example of whitesplaining here, kudos.
What part of “Your opinion is noted. Peace out.” is ‘splaining’ anything?