1 definition by Jade Greene
Nigger is a pejorative term and common ethnic slur against black people, and is English slang. In denoting “black person”, nigger originated as a variant of the Spanish and Portuguese noun "negro" (meaning black), which was derived from the Latin adjective "niger" (meaning black). The pejorative, racist meaning has been recognized and criticized as such since the nineteenth century, yet remained in general global use until the 1960s and 1970s. In U.S. popular culture and slang, the word nigger remains current usage, yet remains a racist slur. Other related words such as coon and boong originate from Australian-English terms used to describe the native aboriginal people of Australia.
by Jade Greene September 10, 2009