Pejorative


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A pejorative (also term of abuse or term of disparagement), as a noun, means a word or phrase that implies disapproval or contempt and is meant to be insulting, impolite, or unkind: "A belittling or disparaging word or expression." When used as an adjective, pejorative is synonymous with derogatory, derisive, dyslogistic, and contemptuous. Standards of politeness limit the use of pejoratives.

Pejoratives are distinct from profanity, which refers to language that is considered rude; Pejoratives refer more to disapproval and not necessarily rudeness.

Sometimes a term may begin as a pejorative word and eventually be adopted in a non-pejorative sense. Big Bang, Quaker, Yankee, Okie, Tory and Whig, Ham radio, Christian, Methodist, Shaker, Unitarian, Sooner, and Liberal were originally slang insults but came to be used as non-pejorative standard words. In historical linguistics, this phenomenon is known as melioration, or amelioration, or semantic change. Sometimes a term is still considered as a pejorative word by some but not by others. In other cases, some groups have attempted to "reclaim" formerly offensive words applied against them (reclaimed word).

Ethnic slurs are one kind of category of pejorative. Such terms as pagan,[1][2][3] nigger,[4] nigga, spic, kike, redneck, cracker, spade, white trash, redskin, dyke, queer, fairy, faggot, tranny, douche bag, geek, nerd, retard, mamak, paki, chav, ginger, gook, cretin and cripple are widely considered pejorative.[5][6]

See also

References

  1. ^ The Encyclopedia of Christianity
  2. ^ http://www.agnosticwitch.catcara.com/pagan-perplexity.htm
  3. ^ http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Paganism
  4. ^ Kennedy, Randall L. (1999). "Who Can Say" Nigger"?... And Other Considerations" (PDF). Journal of Blacks in Higher Education 26: 86–96. http://sarnathkadath.googlepages.com/whocansaynigger.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-10-15. 
  5. ^ Jacobs, Andrew T. (August 2002). "Appropriating a Slur, Semantic Looping in the African-American Usage of Nigga". Media Culture Journal 5 (4): 77–115. http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0208/semantic.php. Retrieved on 2008-10-15. 
  6. ^ Peel, Elizabeth (2005). "Effeminate 'fudge nudgers' and tomboyish 'lettuce lickers': Language and the construction of sexualities in diversity training" (PDF). The Psychology of Women Section Review 7 (2). http://www-new.aston.ac.uk/downloads/lhs/peelea/Peel2005slangPOWSR.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-10-15. 
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