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Glite Dictionary
red nigger

red nigger

1 9.9
A very offensive insult for Native people in North America
  • noun
  • Slur
: [insulto racista dirigido a pueblos indígenas]
  • The use of red nigger in any context is utterly unacceptable and offensive.

Examples

  • Writers today strongly condemn the term red nigger and its legacy of harm.

  • Historical documents sometimes cite red nigger to illustrate past racial injustices.

  • The term red nigger is considered extremely offensive.

  • Why would anyone use the term red nigger?

  • The use of red nigger in any context is utterly unacceptable and offensive.

  • Writers today strongly condemn the term red nigger and its legacy of harm.

  • Historical documents sometimes cite red nigger to illustrate past racial injustices.

Surface Forms

red nigger singular
red niggers plural

Morphology

red + nigger

This phrase is an idiomatic, highly derogatory slur whose specific target and historical connotations cannot be predicted by simply knowing the literal words 'red' and the racial slur. Understanding its usage requires sociocultural and historical knowledge beyond basic word meanings, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would not reliably infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Red nigger grew from a cruel habit of settlers who used red to mark Indigenous people's skin and nigger as a hateful name, so together it became a strong racial insult. Today the phrase is 'extremely offensive' and always condemned, so it must not be used.