Re: Self-Use of Ethnic Insults (was: Re: Ebonic Christmas )

Ed Heil wrote:

> I predict that within 30 years, due to the taboo on its use as a
> racial stereotype and the mainstreaming of rap music, "nigga" will
> lose its racial meaning and become a term for "friend" or "comrade."
Boy howdy, that could sure lead to a version of Poul Anderson's sf
story "A Tragedy of Errors".  I posted about it long ago on conlang.

The point of the story was that in a certain dialect of the
common language, "friend" and "business" had dropped out,
being replaced by "camarado" and "'change", and then
were reintroduced from another dialect -- but with new senses
"pirate" and "piracy"!

The next (non-pirate) travelers consequently got into deep trouble.

--

Schlingt dreifach einen Kreis vom dies! || John Cowan <jcowan@...>
Schliesst euer Aug vor heiliger Schau,  || http://www.reutershealth.com
Denn er genoss vom Honig-Tau,           || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
Und trank die Milch vom Paradies.            -- Coleridge (tr. Politzer)