nigger

A word used as a derogatory term towards African-Americans. The word came about during the time of slavery as an insult to demean the spirits of slaves who were brought against their will from Africa. However, when slavery ended, the use of the word continued because of racist feelings. The word was made popular when hip-hop came about in the seventies. The "er" was dropped off of the end and became an "a" due to the way many African-Americans pronounce their words. Many African-Americans attempted to change the meaning from a derogatory term to a word that meant "friend". Contrary to popular belief, not all African-Americans use this word to call their other friends of African descent. Many African-Americans are still offended by the use of the word in any context.

African-American Man 1: "What's up my nigger?"
African-American Man 2: "Don't use that word around me."

by lil_and_kyuth July 02, 2006