Well...this is just my opinion so anyone can feel free to counter. but the word was originally a negative word that was used to degrade people who were the descendants of African Americans. It is still used as a degrading word. However, the black hip-hop community has taken the word and changed the spelling('nigga') and have created a new meaning of endearment. they feel by taking away the negative connotation of the word, it will not have such power in the black community. however, the word is still not to be used by non-blacks, because of its history.
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Name : Jazmin, City : Virginia Beach, State : VA Country : United States, How was the word nigger used in the past to degrade African Americans, and how and why has it evolved into a term that young people use freely?
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Name : Chris W., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : African Methodist Episcopalian, Age : 18, City : Montgomery, State : AL Country : United States, Occupation : college student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, Cambridge International Dictionary of English defines nigger as a noun. It is defined as taboo slang for a black person. Merriam Webster's Collegiate defines nigger as an alteration of earlier neger, from Middle French negre, from the Spanish negro, from negro black and from the Latin niger dated back to 1700. It is repeatedly call offensive to a black person, or any person of dark skin type in these definitions. But, it also refers to a little-valued citizen. It has been defined as a disparaging term for a member of any socially, economically, or politically deprived group of people. I personally belive it was derived from the last defintion to describe 'slaves', and has evolved into what the word 'means' to society today.
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Name : Adam25137, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 25, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Military, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I've wondered the samething for a long time. I think it has something to do with empowering each other. Frankly I think it just boils down to ignorance just like if a white person calls a black person a nigger. In this area there seems to be a double standard too. Blacks can use nigger in their subculture towards other people, but the second it comes out of anyone else's mouth and is directed towards a black person, it's automatically a racist slur eg., Jennifer Lopez whether or not it is meant to be.
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Name : Matt, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 19, City : Sacramento, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I can tell you that the word 'nigger' derived from the word 'Negro', referring to a person from the region or nation called Nigeria, along the Western coast of Africa. (During the slave trade, the West coast of Africa was the region most Africans were taken from, because it was much more accessible than the interior of the continent.) If you look up the root of the word 'negro', you'll find that it comes from Latin, and means 'dark' or 'black'. If you speak any of the Romantic languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese), you'll notice that their words for 'black' or 'dark' are similar to 'negro'. It would seem to me that the name given to the region (which later became a nation, if I'm not mistaken) was in reflection of the color of the people who lived there. Now take the word Negro and smear it over with a heavy Southern accent. I imagine that it was just easier to say 'nigger' than to have to trip over the movement of the tongue from the 'g' sound to the 'r' sound. And since the slaveholders and whites in general held such low regard for the Africans as it was, 'nigger' became the derrogatory word we know of today. 'Nigger' has historically been used as a derrogatory term. Although I cannot speak from personal experience (I'd probably be decked if I ever used the word), it has been my observation that people who use the word today in a non-derrogatory context use it as they use the term 'homeboy'. I find it to be the equivalent of walking on eggshells. You have to be careful who you say it to or around. Not everyone will appreciate it.
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Name : Jessica, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White and Arab, Religion : Christian, Age : 24, City : San Diego, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : student, lifeguard, swim instructor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I was always taught that the word nigger came from the spanish word 'negro' which means black. I being a young person myself feel that since it's been used to label us African-Americans in a negative way, we have taken it our of the hands of our oppressers and used it as a positive slang term for friend or 'homie'.
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Name : Kiki J., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 15, City : austell, State : GA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, we as black people have flipped the meaning of the word nigger and now we use it as a term of endearment
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Name : erica, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 26, City : tuscumbis, State : AL Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, The term nigger wasnt just used towards African Americans. During the 1700s, Filipinos were reffered to as 'Niggers'.
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Name : Serena28042, City : Ventura, State : CA Country : United States, I've been interested in the same question about the word nigger evolving for years now. When I read Huckleberry Finn in my 11th grade English class, we had a debate about whether it should be banned from schools based off of the use of the word 'Nigger.' Our (primarily white) class ended up discussing the question with an african american studies class (which yes, was primarily black). Eventually it came down to a debate about whether the word was used in a derogatory manner in the book or not. I however couldn't resist asking 'How can this word be so unacceptable to use, when a celebrity like Chris Rock can use the word hundreds of times over in his routines?' The answer I got from one of the students in the african american studies class is that there is a difference between a 'nigger' and a 'nigga.' I'm not saying that that person was right or wrong, and I'm not saying I agree or disagree with her answer. I do however disagree with the word being used at all today by anyone, if it ever was so offensive to someone else. If the word shouldn't be taken in a lighthearted manner, than it shouldn't be used in a lighthearted manner. If it's such a problem that it was used in the past, then why use it today? I feel that if a white person is to use the word, it is derogatory and if a black person is to use the word it is acceptable. Why hold one standard for one race, and not for the other? I think if the word is to be used, then it should be used in history lessons to explain why we don't say it anymore.
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Name : Regan, Gender : F, Age : 19, City : Norfolk, State : VA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, It's not that the word 'nigger' isn't still offensive, it's all about how you use it and who says it to who. I'm black and if a white friend of mine calls me that, I will not get offended because he is not racist and he is not trying to degrade me. The word 'nigger' has actually evolved into 'nigga' which I find equivilent to 'dude', 'dog', 'homey', or any word along those lines. This word is actually said to all races. I call my white, hispanic, asian, and black friends niggas. In another sense if a black man and a white man get into some type of confrontation and the white man calls him a nigger than their will be problems because the black man will feel as if the white man is trying to degrade him. It's almost like it has two meanings.
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Name : Edson Evora, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 19, City : Pawtucket, State : RI Country : United States, Occupation : Assistant Fitness Director, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I would like to suggest the book 'Nigger' by Randall Kennedy. He is a Harvard law professor and the book is very good. It is not a treatise on social issues rather it is quite an impartial look at the evolution and uses of this word. It's short so you shouldn't be discouraged from reading it. My opinion is that it was used like any other racial slur. It was used to constantly remind blacks they were only second-class citizens and to stir up whites' racism. i wouldn't say young people use instead rap uses it and it passes on. Proof is that even white, white-Hispanic, and Asian young people who listen to rap call each other this word too. Once they learn that one does not have to live life according to the music to which they listen the word would become less prominent in their vocabulary. But really, the disgust people display at the utterance of this word is more for show. If the word were to suddeny disappear nothing would be different. The same people would still be racist. I think people find it shocking shocking because it is a visceral proof of racism in America and hints at what that racism has evolved into.
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Name : Will24449, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 21, City : Boston, State : MA Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I think it's the simple fact that the African American community has taken something horrible and made it their own. In effect, it takes some of the negativity out of it and adds a positive notion to it.
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Name : Eagle-Bear-Morgan, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : American Indian, Religion : Native American, Age : 27, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Occupation : Network Engineer/DJ, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, What is so hurtful about the word NIGGER? What does it REALLY mean? Why is it that black people can say it to each other, but when some other race calls them a nigger the get offended and usually violent. I think that it's just a damn word stop letting it bug you.
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Name : joe-smith30596, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 37, City : Aurora, State : IL Country : United States, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, To answer your question, I'd check out Randall Kennedy's fine book 'N*gger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word.'
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Name : Anna23819, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, in my opinion that word was used to put down slaves by there owners to degrade them and now peoplei think use them because their parents use the word and that is how they were raised and they have no feeling about how degrating it really is
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Name : susan, City : Manassas, State : VA Country : United States, 
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