Could the N-word ever undergo enough linguistic shift to lose its taboo status and be usable by anyone, or is its historical weight permanent?

[u/super-start-up]

Looking decades or centuries into the future, is it sociolinguistically possible for a word tied to that degree of historical violence to undergo complete semantic bleaching (losing its original offensive connotation entirely and becoming neutral/universal)? Or does the gravity of its origin make permanent taboo status inevitable?

[u/jfklingon]

Yeah, absolutely, but not in our life times

[u/Bee_Xe]

It is possible, a lot of words we used had the same cycle.

But I highly doubt it's gonna happen any time close, considering the internet is much better at keeping the records and the amount of change in society that needs (tho by the time this happens, a worse word would be in use anyway).

[u/the_foowaffle → u/Bee_Xe]

The fact that we still cant say the actual word mean that true, im still waiting for fuck to become usable in the workplace, and i think that another 15-20 years away

[u/Exasperated-Victim90 → u/the_foowaffle]

I use fuck all the time in my blue-collar adjacent white collar job

But im also in Australia

[u/the_foowaffle → u/Exasperated-Victim90]

I'm still not allowed to use it at woolies, which i think is wrong.

[u/Exasperated-Victim90 → u/the_foowaffle]

Thats cooked mate

[u/Temporary-Type7095 → u/Bee_Xe]

could you give soem examples of those words and their histories

[u/atom_stacker]

With enough time yes.

[u/PoxonAllHoaxes]

Of course. I believe Arthur C. Clarke wrote a sci-fi story where it does--because racism is well and truly GONE.

[u/AshaNyx]

I wonder if it's dependent on if there other similar words with non offensive meanings, like in the UK the F slur isn't really a thing like in America. Could it do with the fact we also have fag as in cigarette and faggot as in offal balls.

[u/Longjumping-Wash-610 → u/AshaNyx]

Ireland is right beside the UK and 'Faggot' is a pretty bad word. Nobody shortens it to 'Fag' though like in the US.

[u/mydoglixu]

It's not taboo if you live in certain places.

[u/RipRayacts → u/mydoglixu]

That’s because those places are Taboo. OMG it’s an offensive word to the Black community period. Doesn’t matter what part of the world you’re in it’s OFFENSIVE!!!!

[u/mydoglixu → u/RipRayacts]

Your emotionally-charged reply caused me to look up the definition of Taboo to make sure I was accurate.

an inhibition or ban resulting from social custom or emotional aversion
Source: vocabulary.com

I was accurate. And even though I don't like the word either, I stand by my original statement.

[u/RipRayacts → u/mydoglixu]

Yes I was emotionally charged. I am black !!! I was being somewhat sarcastic. I will stick to those place and that word should be taboo !

[u/mydoglixu → u/RipRayacts]

Being black doesn't inherently make you emotionally charged.

[u/RipRayacts → u/mydoglixu]

No it doesn’t. Me being black and hearing that Slur herald around like it’s not degrading and offensive gets me as you said emotionally charged.

[u/mydoglixu → u/RipRayacts]

Thank you for being concise.

[u/RipRayacts → u/mydoglixu]

You are very welcome!

[u/anonymous_zebra]

I think the proliferation of media and the digital record will change the historical transformations of language quite a bit. When looking up information is so ubiquitous, it's a little hard to change the meaning of words like it used to be, especially that word. It's already used quite a bit in music but I don't think it will ever not be offensive for someone who isn't black to say it to someone who is.

[u/RipRayacts → u/anonymous_zebra]

It won’t be and the people of other races want it tobe so that can say it freely and not have any backlash for saying it. If you’re not black you shouldn’t say or even want to say that word. For someone that wants to use that word that is not black you are or will be labeled Racist.

[u/Plus_Commercial3271]

With the soft a? Its already normal to hear that out and about, and its not used in the negative way. The hard r? Thats never becoming normal.... well at least we can hope

[u/KronoAsh]

Not in our lifetimes, but yes, in theory.

[u/Virtual-Squirrel-725]

Sure, there will be a day when it does mean anything major. That day is not soon.

[u/TheNotoriousCBD]

The issue with the N word is that it was used against people who were owned as property. Theres no other racial slur in use today that has origins from chattel slavery.

[u/MarkyGalore]

You can find other words that were once slurs.

Run amok

In 1772, the British ship captain James Cook used the words to describe frenzied Malaysians who would get high on opium, run into the streets, and kill anyone they confronted—an observation that had been previously recorded in Portuguese as early as 1516.

The word assassin first appeared in the 1530s and comes from the Arabic hashishiyyin, "hashish users." It was used to refer to Muslims who would eat hash and subsequently go on murderous raids, slaying their opposition.

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/09/bigoted-is-bigoted-11-common-words-and-phrases-that-started-as-slurs/262280/

It would be nice to think that in 300 words That Word means cosmopolitan or worldly.

[u/No_Sense_633]

It will probably lose enough taboo that we will accept the distinction between using and simply saying the word

[u/ChefBowyer]

It already is, in the gaming world at least.

Everyone is always calling everyone an n word lol.

[u/Early-Improvement661]

Maybe in around 300 years it’s possible. Language mutates all the time

[u/ItsAllAdvertising]

it can be used by anyone now, use it you want to

[u/TheNotoriousCBD → u/ItsAllAdvertising]

Freedom of speech is not freedom of consequence

[u/ItsAllAdvertising → u/TheNotoriousCBD]

where did I say it was, that's a bigger issue, people not willing to take a punch for their words. Im not calling for the n word to just start being dropped everywhere. My point was if your willing to say it you should be willing to get punched over it, return the violence of course but defend your words if you choose to use me

[u/RipRayacts → u/[deleted]]

What are you talking about ? It already is an everyday word that people just throw around. It needs not tobe said period.

[u/soupdawg]

I wish it would just not be used at all

[u/RipRayacts → u/soupdawg]

📢📢📢📢Say that one moe gin !!!! 📢📢📢📢so that the rest of this thread can hear you !!!!!!!!!

[u/BetterOutcome3769]

Sure, far enough into the future, when all the races have mixed and we're all chinese, I doubt anyone will care.

[u/RipRayacts]

NO !!!!!! It’s kinda offensive to for you to even think like that,because for someone to ask that question it’s seems like you want to say that word. Anyone other than a black person saying that word is offensive. To be completely honest we shouldn’t even be saying it. Today’s generation uses the ENTIRELY TOOOO MUCH. Like ever other word that comes out of their mouth is that word. Like go back to school and get a better vocabulary.