A pejorative, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something.[1] It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a term is regarded as pejorative in some social or ethnic groups but not in others, or may be originally pejorative but later adopt a non-pejorative sense (or vice versa) in some or all contexts.
The word pejorative is derived from a Late Latin past participle stem of peiorarecode: lat promoted to code: la , meaning "to make worse", from peiorcode: lat promoted to code: la "worse".[2]
In historical linguistics, the process of an inoffensive word becoming pejorative is a form of semantic drift known as pejoration. An example of pejoration is the shift in meaning of the word silly from meaning that a person was happy and fortunate to meaning that they are foolish and unsophisticated.[3] The process of pejoration can repeat itself around a single concept, leaping from word to word in a phenomenon known as the euphemism treadmill, for example as in the successive pejoration of the terms bog-house, privy-house, latrine, water closet, toilet, bathroom and restroom (US English).[4][5]
When a term begins as pejorative and eventually is adopted in a non-pejorative sense, this is called melioration or amelioration. One example is the shift in meaning of the word nice from meaning a person was foolish to meaning that a person is pleasant.[6] When performed deliberately, it is described as reclamation or reappropriation.[7] An example of a word that has been reclaimed by portions of the community that it targets is queer, which began being re-appropriated as a positive descriptor in the early 1990s by activist groups.[8] However, due to its history and – in some regions – continued use as a pejorative, there remain LGBT individuals who are uncomfortable with having this term applied to them.[9] The "-a" use of the n-word by black americans is often viewed as another act of reclamation, though much like queer in the LGBT movement, there exist a vocal subsect of black people that object to the use of the n-word under any circumstances.[10]
^Horobin, Simon (March 31, 2021). "Five words that don't mean what you think they do". The Conversation. Retrieved 2021-04-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^Stollznow, Karen (2020-08-11). "Ableist Language and the Euphemism Treadmill". Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
^Bell, Vicars Walker (1953). On Learning the English Tongue. Faber & Faber. p. 19. The Honest Jakes or Privy has graduated via Offices to the final horror of Toilet.
^Nordquist, Richard (3 October 2019). "Amelioration (word meanings)". ThoughtCo. from the original on Jan 18, 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
^Brontsema, Robin (2004-06-01). "A Queer Revolution: Reconceptualizing the Debate Over Linguistic Reclamation". Colorado Research in Linguistics. 17 (1). doi:10.25810/dky3-zq57. ISSN 1937-7029. Linguistic reclamation, also known as linguistic resignification or reappropriation, refers to the appropriation of a pejorative epithet by its target(s).
^Perlman, Merrill (2019-01-22). "How the word 'queer' was adopted by the LGBTQ community". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2021-07-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^Druhan, Colin (2019-03-06). "Our complicated relationship with the term queer". IN Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^Higson, Rachel (2017-09-28). "Considering the N-Word: To Reject or Reclaim?". Prindle Institute. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
Further reading
Croom, Adam M. (2011). "Slurs". Language Sciences. 33 (3): 343–358. doi:10.1016/j.langsci.2010.11.005.
Croom, Adam M. (2014). "Remarks on 'The Semantics of Racial Slurs'". Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations. Vol. 13, no. 1. pp. 11–32.
Croom, Adam M. (January 2014). "The Semantics of Slurs: A Refutation of Pure Expressivism". Language Sciences. 41, Part B: 227–242. doi:10.1016/j.langsci.2013.07.003.
Henderson, Anita (Spring 2003). "What's in a Slur?". American Speech. Vol. 78, no. 1. Project MUSE. pp. 52–74.
External links
Look up pejorative, slur, derogatory, derisive, or dyslogistic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
pejorative, name, slur, redirects, here, other, uses, slur, slur, disambiguation, pejorative, slur, derogatory, term, word, grammatical, form, expressing, negative, disrespectful, connotation, opinion, lack, respect, toward, someone, something, also, used, exp. Name slur redirects here For other uses of slur see Slur disambiguation A pejorative slur or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation a low opinion or a lack of respect toward someone or something 1 It is also used to express criticism hostility or disregard Sometimes a term is regarded as pejorative in some social or ethnic groups but not in others or may be originally pejorative but later adopt a non pejorative sense or vice versa in some or all contexts Contents 1 Etymology 2 Pejoration and melioration 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksEtymology EditThe word pejorative is derived from a Late Latin past participle stem of peiorare code lat promoted to code la meaning to make worse from peior code lat promoted to code la worse 2 Pejoration and melioration EditFurther information Semantic drift In historical linguistics the process of an inoffensive word becoming pejorative is a form of semantic drift known as pejoration An example of pejoration is the shift in meaning of the word silly from meaning that a person was happy and fortunate to meaning that they are foolish and unsophisticated 3 The process of pejoration can repeat itself around a single concept leaping from word to word in a phenomenon known as the euphemism treadmill for example as in the successive pejoration of the terms bog house privy house latrine water closet toilet bathroom and restroom US English 4 5 When a term begins as pejorative and eventually is adopted in a non pejorative sense this is called melioration or amelioration One example is the shift in meaning of the word nice from meaning a person was foolish to meaning that a person is pleasant 6 When performed deliberately it is described as reclamation or reappropriation 7 An example of a word that has been reclaimed by portions of the community that it targets is queer which began being re appropriated as a positive descriptor in the early 1990s by activist groups 8 However due to its history and in some regions continued use as a pejorative there remain LGBT individuals who are uncomfortable with having this term applied to them 9 The a use of the n word by black americans is often viewed as another act of reclamation though much like queer in the LGBT movement there exist a vocal subsect of black people that object to the use of the n word under any circumstances 10 See also EditApprobative Defamation Dysphemism Fighting words Graphic pejoratives in written Chinese Insult Judgmental language List of ethnic slurs List of religious slurs ProfanityReferences Edit Pejorative Dictionary com Archived from the original on Mar 21 2016 Retrieved 2012 04 25 Pejorative adj Online Etymology Dictionary Retrieved October 16 2016 Horobin Simon March 31 2021 Five words that don t mean what you think they do The Conversation Retrieved 2021 04 05 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Stollznow Karen 2020 08 11 Ableist Language and the Euphemism Treadmill Cambridge University Press Retrieved 2021 04 06 Bell Vicars Walker 1953 On Learning the English Tongue Faber amp Faber p 19 The Honest Jakes or Privy has graduated via Offices to the final horror of Toilet Nordquist Richard 3 October 2019 Amelioration word meanings ThoughtCo Archived from the original on Jan 18 2021 Retrieved 2021 04 06 Brontsema Robin 2004 06 01 A Queer Revolution Reconceptualizing the Debate Over Linguistic Reclamation Colorado Research in Linguistics 17 1 doi 10 25810 dky3 zq57 ISSN 1937 7029 Linguistic reclamation also known as linguistic resignification or reappropriation refers to the appropriation of a pejorative epithet by its target s Perlman Merrill 2019 01 22 How the word queer was adopted by the LGBTQ community Columbia Journalism Review Retrieved 2021 07 12 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Druhan Colin 2019 03 06 Our complicated relationship with the term queer IN Magazine Retrieved 2021 07 12 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Higson Rachel 2017 09 28 Considering the N Word To Reject or Reclaim Prindle Institute Retrieved 2023 03 12 Further reading EditCroom Adam M 2011 Slurs Language Sciences 33 3 343 358 doi 10 1016 j langsci 2010 11 005 Croom Adam M 2014 Remarks on The Semantics of Racial Slurs Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations Vol 13 no 1 pp 11 32 Croom Adam M January 2014 The Semantics of Slurs A Refutation of Pure Expressivism Language Sciences 41 Part B 227 242 doi 10 1016 j langsci 2013 07 003 Henderson Anita Spring 2003 What s in a Slur American Speech Vol 78 no 1 Project MUSE pp 52 74 External links Edit Look up pejorative slur derogatory derisive or dyslogistic in Wiktionary the free dictionary Media related to Pejoratives at Wikimedia Commons Pejorative Language Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pejorative amp oldid 1147403983, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
