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Glite Dictionary
blackfellow

blackfellow

1 9.9
An offensive old word for an Aboriginal man in Australia
  • noun
  • Slur
: [término ofensivo para hombre aborigen australiano]
  • Modern writers avoid using blackfellow due to its offensive and derogatory nature.

Examples

  • Historical documents sometimes refer to Aboriginal men as blackfellows, reflecting outdated attitudes.

  • The term blackfellow is now considered highly offensive and should not be used.

  • The term blackfellow is considered offensive today.

  • Many people find the word blackfellow outdated.

  • In the 19th century, some settlers referred to Aboriginal Australian men as blackfellow, a term now considered offensive.

  • Historically, the term blackfellow was used in Australia to describe Aboriginal men, but it is no longer acceptable.

  • Many people today recognize that calling someone a blackfellow can be hurtful and disrespectful to Aboriginal culture.

Surface Forms

blackfellow singular
blackfellows plural

Morphology

blackfellow = black + fellow (semi-transparent) = black + fellow

Formally a straightforward compound 'black' + 'fellow', but its historical, specific and offensive usage for Aboriginal Australian men means the meaning is culturally specific rather than a neutral descriptive compound.

Etymology

Blackfellow comes from the two English parts black and fellow, literally meaning 'a black person'. It was used in colonial Australia to name Aboriginal men, but today it is highly offensive because it reduces people to their skin colour and was used in racist and disrespectful ways.