"It is usage, not etymology, that shapes the meaning of a word."Īs with most linguistic conundrums, a good guiding principle here might be: back free speech by avoiding censorship, by all means, but encourage consideration. "Etymology does not control the meaning of words," he says. Does it matter?Īccording to Kel Richards, author of The Story of Australian English, not as much as you might think. My advice? It's a nomenclature linguistic minefield. clatchet ptaf ratch yasss g.r.a.b ratché fatchet quatchet daquan drek clank mountain goat wrench r.a.b terrel sulejman rtg ratchetnalizing seawater ratchet and clank mistaken rachetry ratchetvity ratchivity mandii cabarah shaniqua robert cratchet ratchebola heebin pleakly fooz ratchpatch. Some say that the disagreement is, in itself, white privilege as Karen was African American vernacular for a white woman - perhaps the type who policed and complained about black people themselves. Slang for ratchet (Related Terms) - Urban Thesaurus.
Many disagree, especially on the sexism point. "My mother, who grew up in Nigeria, named me Karen precisely because she wanted me to blend into white American society and face fewer problems in life than I would have with a foreign or a "black-sounding" name," she said. Writing in the Washington Post recently, Karen Attiah - a "millennial black Karen" - argued Karen memes are neither sexist or racist. ( )īut others argue that Karen is rooted in black American internet culture, and first emerged as response to racism and classism by white women. The hotly-debated 'Karen' meme is a linguistic minefield. We probably don't want to brag about being that kind of fan. I stan her."īut it comes from the Eminem song Stan (the one where he duets with Dido) about an obsessive stalker who kills his pregnant girlfriend. "Stan" is used by millennials to say they're massive fans of a celebrity. Whether it's affectionately teasing or bordering on racist bullying is, of course, subjective. "This is also an imitation of 'primitive' English as spoken this time by Native Americans as in old western movies" Thorne says. "It's a literal translation of a Chinese phrase." "'No can do' began as mockery of 'pidgin English' or 'broken English' as supposedly spoken by non-Europeans," Thorne says. They're forms of mockery of poorly spoken English. These are also phrases with racist origins, according to Tony Thorne, language consultant at King's College London and author of the Dictionary of Contemporary Slang. It's also a timely reminder to pause and reflect before using some of the following slang vernacular. It goes to show that, sometimes, we use street slang words without knowing their problematic roots. Like many etymologies, there's no fixed factual birthplace linguists rarely settle on one etymology, instead assessing several theories.īut on of the theories is that "munter" originated in South Africa, having come from "munt", an Afrikaans slur for a black person, deriving from the Bantu "umuntu". This derives from the same etymology as "munter" - and its original meaning should raise alarm. It is also used to describe "an extreme state of intoxication by way of drugs or alcohol such that the subject's ability to perform basic tasks such as walking and talking are significantly impaired." Perhaps it's best Miriam Margolyes hadn't heard of the word 'munter' given its offensive slang definition.
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