Re: Word usage in group versus out of group.

Abrigon Gusiq wrote:
> Just wondering how many other words in languages are
> used by a group amoungst themselves, but only amounst themselves, and if
> used by others maybe in a insulting/derogetory/etc manner.
Nothing quite as strong as the N-word (which, among non-Blacks, has
become almost a four-letter word), but I believe the term "flip" for
Filipino is mildly derogatory, yet Filipino friends of mine would use it
to refer to themselves.

But, while we're on the topic, I wonder if there are any general
patterns to derogatory terms?  Some, like "nigger" and "injun" are
distortions of the more "acceptable" term (Negro and Indian), or rather,
used to be acceptable, both of those have been replaced by other terms,
possibly due to the closeness of the alternate.  Some come from common
names, like "Dago" for Italians, from Diego, or "Mick" for an Irishman
(From Mc-).  Basically, are there any other tendencies, I wonder?  Also,
where does "Spick" for Hispanic come from?  I've heard that it comes
from "No spik English", but that seems extremely unlikely, given that
/I/ usually become /i/ in a Hispanic accent, and "speak" would usually
be rendered [Espik]

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