paleface

5 9.9

An old rude word sometimes used by North American Native people for a white person

noun
/ˈpeɪlfeɪs/

Slur

: [término despectivo para persona blanca]

Now we're really going to show these palefaces something!
palefaces and redskins
naked paleface
mean "we," paleface

Examples

As the punchline from the old joke goes, "What mean we, paleface?"

Blog text (4)
Many Native Americans would jokingly refer to a paleface as a person from the dominant culture.
Teach 'em paleface brother all about red man.

Peter Pan (1953)
What do you mean "we", paleface?

Lolita (1997)
Me know paleface with many diamonds, much gold.

Annie Get Your Gun (1950)
- Hey paleface, give me my arrow.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
You can come hang out with the palefaces.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Why don't you give her a try, paleface?

The Unforgiven (1960)
She raised her right hand as she walked near the men and said solemnly, "How, palefaces."

Fiction book (1996)
♪ Buddy ♪ ♪ he's the funniest paleface on TV ♪

Mr. Saturday Night (1992)

Surface Forms

paleface singular

palefaces plural

Morphology

paleface = pale + face (semi-transparent) = pale + face

While 'pale' and 'face' are clear, the specific derogatory meaning is culturally specific and not directly derivable.

Etymology

The word paleface comes from the plain English parts pale and face, literally meaning a 'light-skinned face'. That is why it became a mocking name for white people in old Western stories and why today it is seen as rude or offensive.