nigga
nigga — noun
- niggasingular
- niggasplural
1. a deeply offensive racial slur directed at a Black person, carrying a history of
a deeply offensive racial slur directed at a Black person, carrying a history of racist violence and dehumanisation. The word is closely related to 'nigger' and is considered hate speech in most contexts, though some Black speakers use it within their own community as a reclaimed term of address.
The history teacher explained to her class that the word 'nigga' is a hate word used to dehumanise Black people.
usage explained as offensive in classroom context
Obi heard someone call his brother that slur and reported it to the bus driver.
context of reporting hate speech
The Black comedian used the word during his show while discussing reclaiming slurs.
Saira's grandmother was shocked to hear young people repeating the slur from rap lyrics.
The principal suspended two students for writing the slur on a school desk.
- nigger
the original form of the slur; considered even more offensive and less ambiguously a slur
- the N-word
the standard respectful euphemism when referring to either 'nigger' or 'nigga' in polite discussion
文法句型
the N-word (euphemistic replacement)
used as a term of address (offensive or in-group)
用法筆記
This word is considered hate speech in nearly all public and professional settings. Under UK and US hate-crime laws, using it can have legal consequences. Some Black speakers use it as a reclaimed in-group term, but non-Black speakers should never use it under any circumstances. The safest and most responsible choice is to refer to 'the N-word' instead of saying or writing this term directly. Learners should recognise the word so they understand when they hear or read it, but they should never use it themselves.