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List of ethnic slurs
List of ethnic slurs
List of ethnic slurs
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Look up slur or epithet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The following is a list of ethnic slurs, ethnophaulisms, or ethnic epithets that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnic, national, or racial group or to refer to them in a derogatory, pejorative, or otherwise insulting manner.

Some of the terms listed below can be used in casual speech without any intention of causing offense. Others are so offensive that people might respond with physical violence. The connotation of a term and prevalence of its use as a pejorative or neutral descriptor varies over time and by geography.

For the purposes of this list, an ethnic slur is a term designed to insult others on the basis of race, ethnicity, or nationality. Each term is listed followed by its country or region of usage, a definition, and a reference to that term.

Ethnic slurs may also be produced as a racial epithet by combining a general-purpose insult with the name of ethnicity. Common insulting modifiers include "dog", "pig", "dirty" and "filthy"; such terms are not included in this list.

A

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Abbie, Abe, Abie United States, Canada Jewish men Originated before the 1950s. From the proper name Abraham. [1]
ABC East Asia American-born Chinese, Han or other Chinese (including Taiwanese) born and raised in the United States. The term implies an otherness or lack of connection to their Chinese identity and (usually) Chinese language; however, it has been reappropriated by many Chinese Americans and used to convey positive connotations. [2]
ABCD South Asians in the US American-Born Confused Desi, Indian Americans or other South Asian Americans, (desi) who were born in the United States. Used chiefly by South Asian immigrants to imply confusion about cultural identity [3][4]
Abid/Abeed (plural) Middle East and North Africa Black people Arabic word for slave [5]
Abo/Abbo Australia Australian Aboriginal person Originally, this was simply an informal term for Aborigine, and was in fact used by Aboriginal people themselves (such as in the Aboriginal-run newspaper Abo Call) until it started to be considered offensive in the 1950s. Although Abo is still considered quite offensive by many, the pejorative boong is now more commonly used when the intent is deliberately to offend, as that word's status as an insult is unequivocal. [6]
Afro engineering, African engineering or nigger rigging United States African Americans Shoddy, second-rate or unconventional, makeshift workmanship. Indirectly refers to black American people as worse or lower-valued than white American people when associating anything bad with them. [7][8]
Ah Chah Hong Kong South Asian people From 阿差; Cantonese Yale: achā; from "acchā" meaning "good" or "OK" in Hindi. [9]
Ali Baba United States Iraqi people An Iraqi suspected of criminal activity. [10]
Alligator bait, 'gator bait United States (chiefly southern U.S.) Black people, especially black children Dates from early 20th century or before; implies that African Americans are good for nothing except being used to bait alligators [11][12]
AmaLawu, AmaQheya South Africa Khoisans and Cape Coloureds or Coloureds Xhosa words for Hottentot [13]
Ang mo Malaysia, Singapore European people, especially the Dutch Hokkien for "red hair" referring to Dutch people from the 17th century and expanded to encompass other Europeans by the 19th century. It has become a neutral term, though is sometimes seen as derogatory. [14]
Ann United States, Canada White women, "white-acting" black women While Miss Ann, also just plain Ann, is a derisive reference to white women, it is also applied to any black woman who is deemed to be acting as though she is white. [15][16]
Annamite, mites French, English Vietnamese people [17][18][19]
Ape United States Black people Referring to outdated theories ascribing cultural differences between racial groups as being linked to their evolutionary distance from chimpanzees, with which humans share common ancestry. [20][21]
Apple United States, Canada Native Americans First used in the 1970s. Someone who is "red on the outside, white on the inside". Used primarily by other Native Americans to indicate someone who has lost touch with their cultural identity. [22]
Arapis (Greek: Αράπης); feminine: arapissa, arapena Black people and Arabs From Turkish arap for "Arab" or, colloquially, "dark-skinned-person" [23]
Arabush / Aravush (ערבוש)[24] Israel Arabs Arabs, derived from Hebrew "Aravi" (Arab). [25]
Argie / Argies (plural) United Kingdom Argentine people Extensively used by the British soldiers during the Falklands War in 1982. [26]
Armo United States Armenian/Armenian American Especially used in Southern California. [27][28]
Asing, Aseng Indonesia Non-Indonesian people, especially Chinese people Insult to non-Indonesian citizen, from "[orang] asing" (foreigner) that rhymed with "Aseng" (Chinese name). This word is often directed at Chinese people due to Indonesia's relationship with the PRC. [29]
Ashke-Nazi (אשכנאצי) Israel Ashkenazi Jews Pronounced like "AshkeNatzi". Used mostly by Mizrachi Jews. [30][31][32]
Aunt Jemima/Aunt Jane/Aunt Mary/Aunt Sally United States Black women A black woman who "kisses up" to whites, a "sellout", female counterpart of Uncle Tom. [33]

B

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Bachicha Chile Italian people Possibly derived from the Italian word Baciccia, a nickname for Giambattista. [34]
Baiano Brazil Northeastern Brazilian people A person born in Bahia, one of the 9 states in the Northeast Region of Brazil. As a slur, it refers generically to any Northeastern person. Used mainly in São Paulo, the term is related to the Northeastern immigration of the second half of the 20th century. [35]
Balija Turkey, the Balkans Bosnian people An ethnic Bosniak or a member of the Bosnian diaspora. [36][37]
Bamboula France Black people [38]
Bambus Poland Black people, sometimes Asian people Literally it means bamboo in Polish but most probably it's derived from a popular children's poem Murzynek Bambo. [39]
Banaan Suriname Black people, people of African descent Dutch: Banana. A slur that is used to refer to black people, people of African heritage. It derives from the colour of a banana's skin, which is yellow or brown, and is therefore seen as an offensive way to describe black and coloured people's skin colour. [40]
Banana United States, Canada East or Southeast Asian people "Yellow on the outside, white on the inside". Used primarily by East or Southeast Asians for other East- or Southeast Asians or Asian Americans who are perceived as assimilated into mainstream American culture. Similar to Apple. [41][42]
Banderite Poland Ukrainians The term Banderite was originally used to refer to the ultra-nationalist wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, in reference to its leader Stepan Bandera. In Poland, the term "banderowiec" is used in connection with the massacres of Poles in Volhynia by the UPA. The term became a crucial element of Soviet propaganda and was used as a pejorative description of Ukrainian nationalists, or sometimes western Ukrainians or Ukrainian-speakers. Today the term is used in Russian propaganda to associate Ukrainian politics with Nazism. [43][44][45][46][47][48]
Barbarian Greece Non-Greek people Someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. βάρβαρος (barbaros pl. βάρβαροι barbaroi). In Ancient Greece, the Greeks used the term towards those who did not speak Greek and follow classical Greek customs. [49]
Beaner / Beaney United States Hispanic or Latino people, especially Mexicans The term originates from the use of frijoles pintos and other beans that can be generally found in Mexican food or other Hispanic and Latino foods. [50][51][52]
Bimbo German Africans, people with very dark skin in general The origin of this term is disputed, but experts suggest that it either derives from the Central African town of Bimbo, or from the former state of Bimbia, which was annexed by the German colony of Kamerun. [53]
Bing / Binghi Australia Aboriginal Australians "Binghi" was originally an aboriginal word for "brother". Later generalized to all Aboriginal Australians. [54]
Black Buck, black brute, brown buck or brown brute United States Black men Originating in the post-Reconstruction United States, it was used to describe black men who absolutely refused to bend to the law of white authority and were seen as irredeemably violent, rude, and lecherous. [55]
Blackie English Black person [56]
Blatte Sweden Foreigners with dark skin [57]
Bluegum United States African Americans An African American perceived as being lazy and unwilling to work. [58]
Boche / bosche / bosch France; United States; United Kingdom German people Shortened from the French term caboche dure, meaning "hard head" or "cabbage head" with the influence of German surname Bosch. [59]
Boeotian Athenians Boeotian Greek people Referring to the supposed stupidity of the inhabitants of the neighboring Boeotia region of Greece. [60]
Boerehater / Boer-hater / Boer hater South Africa; United Kingdom British people Refers to a person who hates, prejudices, or criticizes the Boers, or Afrikaners – historically applied to British people who held anti-Boers sentiments. [61][62][63]
Bog / Bogtrotter / Bog-trotter United Kingdom, Ireland, United States Irish people A person of common or low-class Irish ancestry. [64][65]
Bogate Chile Yugoslav people The expression is said to come from the Yugoslav interjection Boga ti! [66]
Bohunk United States, Canada Bohemian people A lower-class immigrant of Central, Eastern, or Southeastern European descent. Originally referred to those of Bohemian (now Czech Republic) descent. It was commonly used toward Central European immigrants during the early 20th century. Probably from Bohemian + a distortion of Hungarian. See also hunky. [67]
Bolita Argentina Bolivians [68]
Bong India Bengali people [69]
Boong / Boang / Bong / Bung Australia Aboriginal Australians [First used in 1847 by JD Lang, Cooksland, 430]. Boong, pronounced with ʊ (like the vowel in bull), is related to the Australian English slang word bung, meaning "dead", "infected", or "dysfunctional". From bung, to go bung "Originally to die, then to break down, go bankrupt, cease to function [Ab. bong dead]". The 1988 edition of the Australian National Dictionary gives its origin in the Wemba word for "man" or "human being". However, Frederick Ludowyk of the Australian National Dictionary Centre wrote in 2004 that bong meaning "dead" is not a Wiradjuri word, but may have been picked up or assumed from the word "bung" which was originally a Yagara word which was used in the pidgin widely spoken across Australia in colonial times. [54]
Boonga / boong / bunga / boonie New Zealand Pacific Islanders Likely derived from the similar Australian slur [75][76]
Bootlip United States African American people [77]
Bougnoule France, Wolof Arabian people, North Africans, Black people Analogous to Wog or Raghead, originally was used against Black people but broadened to brown Arabs [78]
Bounty bar United Kingdom Black people A black person who is considered to be behaving like a white person (i.e. dark on the outside, white on the inside). [79]
Bozgor Romania Hungarian people Used especially on ones born in Romania. Possibly derived from the Moldavian Csángó dialect pronunciation of bocskor meaning Opanak, a type of rustic footwear. [80]
Brillo Pad United States Black People Used to refer to the hair of a black person [81]
Brownie United States, New Zealand, and Australia Brown-skinned people, an Asian Used in the 1850s–1960s; in Australia it was used for an Aboriginal Australian or someone Japanese; in New Zealand, a Māori [82]
Buckwheat United States Black people The name of a black character that appeared in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films. Today it is used to refer to the curly hair of a black person. [83][84]
Buddhahead United States Asian people Also used by mainland Japanese Americans to refer to Hawaiian Japanese Americans since World War II. [85][86]
Buckra, Bakra United States, West Indies White people from Sub-Saharan African languages [87]
Bulbash Russia, Ukraine Belarusians Derived from Belarusian word "bulba" (potatoes), based on the fact that potatoes are a very common ingredient in Belarusian cuisine. [88][89]
Bule Indonesia White people or foreigner Derived from an archaic Indonesian word for albino. [90]
Bumbay Philippines People from India From Bombay [91]
Burrhead / Burr-head / Burr head United States Black people Referencing Afro-textured hair. [92]
Bushy (s.) / Bushies, Amadushie (p.) South Africa Khoisans Historically used against the Khoisan people in Southern Africa, referring to their nomadic lifestyle and reliance on the bush for survival. [93]

C

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Cabbage eater German and Russian people [94][95]
Canaca Chile Chinese and Japanese people Canaca is a slur originating in Oceania. [66]
Camel jockey / camel dung-shoveler Middle Eastern people [96][97][98]
Carcamano Brazil Italian people Used during the early 20th century, during the Second wave of Italian immigration to Brazil. [99]
Chakhchakh / Baboon Israel Mizrahi Jews An Israeli derogatory nickname that was common in the 20th century. The term is probably based on the accent immigrants from Islamic countries spoke. [100]
Chakma Bangladesh Jumma, Chinese and Burmese people The term "Chakma" comes from the name of an ethnic group known as Chakma and is used to refer to people with Mongoloid features in Bangladesh, especially Chinese, Burmese and indigenous groups from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. [101][102]
Chankoro Japan Chinese people Japanese: チャンコロ, a Japanese reference to a Chinese person. Often given as either derived from Chinese: 清國虜; pinyin: Qīngguólǔ (lit. 'Qing prisoner') or Chinese: 中國人; pinyin: Zhōngguórén (lit. 'Chinese person') [103]
Charlie United States White Americans Used in the 1960s–1970s. White people as a reified collective oppressor group, similar to The Man or The System. [104]
United States Vietnamese people Vietnam War slang term used by American troops as a shorthand term for Vietnamese guerrillas, derived from the verbal shorthand for "Victor Charlie", the NATO phonetic alphabet for VC, the abbreviation for Viet Cong. The (regular) North Vietnamese Army was referred to as "Mr. Charles". [105][106][107]
China Swede United States Finns Derogatory term for Finnish immigrants to the United States, particularly in Minnesota and Michigan. [108][109]
Chee-chee, Chi-chi South Asia Eurasian Mixed-race people, especially Anglo-Indians Probably derived from Hindi chi-chi fie!, literally, dirt. [110][111]
Cheese-eating surrender monkeys United States French people The term originated with a 1995 episode of The Simpsons. [112]
Chefur (čefur) Slovenia Non-Slovenian people of former Yugoslavia (Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, Montenegrins, Macedonians) [113]
Tsekwa / Chekwa Philippines Chinese Filipino people Used in Filipino/Tagalog and other Philippine languages, which derived it from the late 19th century Cebuano Bisaya street children's limerick, Cebuano: Intsik, wákang, káun, kalibang!, lit. 'Chinese (laborer), I work, eat, and shit!', where "Intsik"/"Insik" is derived from the Philippine Hokkien term, Chinese: 𪜶 叔; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: in chek; lit. 'his/her/their uncle', while "wakang"/"gwakang" is derived from the Philippine Hokkien term, Chinese: 我 工; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: góa kang; lit. 'I work', while "kaon"/"kaun" is from the Cebuano Bisaya term, Cebuano: kaon, lit. 'to eat', while "kalibang" is from the Cebuano Bisaya term, Cebuano: kalibang, lit. 'to defecate'. [114][115]
Chernomazy Russia Black-skinned people, e.g. Africans or indigenous people from the Caucasus, e.g. from Chechnya or Azerbaijan. черномазый, meaning "smeared in black" in Russian.
Chernozhopy Russia Same as, but more insulting than, "chernomazy" черножопый, or chornaya zhopa, meaning "black-arse" in Russian. [116][117][118]
Chilote Argentina Chilean people [119]
Chinaman United States, Canada Chinese people A calque of the Chinese 中國人. It was used in the gold rush and railway-construction eras in western United States when discrimination against the Chinese was common. [120]
Ching chong China, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines Chinese people Mocking the language of or a person of perceived Chinese descent. [121]
Chink China, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia,Philippines East and South East Asians [122]
Chinky/Chinky Chonky China, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia,Philippines East and South East Asians. [123][124]
Chonky Asian people Refers to a person of Asian heritage with "white attributes", in either personality or appearance. [125]
Christ-killer Jewish people An allusion to Jewish deicide. [126][127]
Choc ice Black people A person who is figuratively "black on the outside, white on the inside". [128][129]
Cholo Latin America, Southwestern United States Indigenous or Mestizo people It may be derogatory depending on circumstances. [130][131][132][133]
Chile Bolivian people, Peruvian people [66][134]
Chon/Baka-Chon Japan Korean people [135]
Chow Australia Chinese people Used as early as 1864, rare now [136][137]
Chowmein India Chinese people, Northeast Indians
Chuchmek (Russian: чучмек) / Chechmek (Russian: чечмек) Russia / Russian-speaking regions Middle / Central Asian people (in rare instances people from the Caucasus), in a broader sense Non-Russians, Non-European-looking people From Chichimec[citation needed] - a derogatory term used by the Aztecs and other Mesoamericans to describe the Chichimecs as "uncivilized, aggressive savages", similar to how the ancient Romans called Germanic tribes "barbarians". This name, with its derogatory meaning, was later adopted and brought to Europe by Spanish conquerors. [138][139]
Chug Canada Canadian aboriginal people See Chugach for the native people. [140]
Chukhonets (plural chukhoncy), chukhna Russia Finnic people [141][142]
Churka (Russian: чурка) Russia Western and Central Asians 1. Chock of wood[143]
2. Ignorant person[143] 		[117]
Ciapaty, ciapak Poland Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian, and Caucasian people. Derived from chapati. [144][145]
Cigányforma Hungary Persons with the combination of black hair with brown eyes, regardless of ethnicity Used in 17th century Hungary; literal meaning is "gypsy form" [146]
Cigány népek Hungary Ethnic groups or nations where the combination of black hair with brown eyes is dominant Used in 17th century Hungary; literal meaning is "gypsy folks" [147]
Cioară Romania Romani people and Black people Means crow [148]
Cina / Cokin Indonesia Chinese people Use in media has been banned since 2014 under Keppres (Keputusan Presiden, lit. Presidential Decree) No. 12 of 2014, replaced by Tiongkok (from Zhongguo 中国) or Tionghoa (from Zhonghua 中华). The Keppres even bans use of "China" in media and formal use. [149][150]
Coconut United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia Hispanics/Latinos, South/Southeast Asians Named after the coconut, in the American sense, it derives from the fact that a coconut is brown on the outside and white on the inside. A person of Hispanic/Latino or South/Southeast Asian descent who is seen as being assimilated into white American culture. [41][151][42]
South Asians A brown person of South Asian descent is perceived as fully assimilated into Western culture. [152][153][154]
Pacific Islander [155]
Colono Brazil (mainly Rio Grande do Sul) Italian Brazilians and German Brazilians Although it is not generally considered an insult in other parts of Brazil, in Rio Grande do Sul it is considered pejorative because it is considered an offensive nickname similar to Caipira and is given to those who are native to the Rio Grande do Sul countryside (mainly Caxias do Sul and Bento Gonçalves), who are descendants of Italians or Germans and who have a strong accent compared to those who are native to the state's capital, Porto Alegre. [156]
Coño Chile Spanish people Used in to refer to Spanish people given the perception that they recurrently use the vulgar interjection coño (lit. 'cunt'). [34]
Coolie United States, Canada Asian people, usually Chinese, and Indo-Caribbean people Unskilled Asian laborer (originally used in the 19th century for Chinese railroad laborers). Possibly from Mandarin "苦力" ku li or Hindi kuli, "day laborer." Also racial epithet for Indo-Caribbean people, especially in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and South African Indians. [157][158]
Coon, cooney United States, Commonwealth Black people Slur popularized by Coon songs played at Minstrel show. Originally associated in the 1830s with the U.S. Whig Party who used a raccoon as their emblem. The Whigs were more tolerant towards blacks than other main parties. After the party folded the term "coon" evolved from political slang into a racial slur. Within African American communities, the word has been used to refer to a black person who is allegedly a "sellout".[159] [160][161][162][163][164]
Australia Aboriginal Australian [165]
New Zealand Pacific Islander [165]
Coonass, Coon-ass United States Cajun people Not to be confused with the French connasse, meaning cunt. [166]
Coreano Chile Chinese and Japanese people [66]
Cotton picker United States Individuals of African descent, including African-Americans and Cape Coloureds or Coloureds Historically referred to someone who harvested cotton by hand, often used in the context of American slavery when enslaved black people were forced to pick cotton on plantations. The phrase originally referred to the actual occupation of picking cotton on plantations in the American South, but that it later became a racial slur used to denigrate people of African descent, including African-Americans and Cape Coloureds or Coloureds. [167][168][169]
Cracker United States White people, especially poor Appalachian and Southern people Entered general use in the United States as a pejorative for white people, though may be used neutrally in context. Can specifically refer to white settlers, as with Florida or Georgia crackers. [170][171]
Crow United States Black people [172]
Crucco (m.), crucca (f.) Italy German people The name was firstly given during the First World War to the troops of the Austro-Hungarian Army of Croatian and Slovenian ethnicity. Later the term was used to indicate the Germans. [173]
Culchie Ireland Rural Irish people Applied by townspeople or city folk as a condescending or pejorative reference to people from rural areas. [174][175]
Curepí Paraguay Argentines A common term used by people from Paraguay for people from Argentina, it means "pig's skin". [176][177]
Curry-muncher Australia, Africa, New Zealand, United States, Canada South Asian People [178]
Cushi, Kushi (כושי) Israel Dark-skinned people Term originated from Kushite, referring to an individual from the Ancient Kingdom of Kush. This was also mentioned in the Hebrew Bible generally used to refer to people usually of African descent. Originally merely descriptive, in present-day Israel it increasingly assumed a pejorative connotation and is regarded as insulting by Ethiopian Israelis; and by non-Jewish, Sub-Saharan African migrant workers and asylum seekers in Israel. [179]
Czarnuch (m.), czarnucha (f.) Poland Black people From "czarny" (black). Equivalent of nigger. [180]

D

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Dago, Dego United States, Commonwealth Italians, Spaniards, Greeks, Portuguese or Maltese people; in the United States, primarily used for Italians and people of Italian descent Possibly derived from the Spanish name "Diego" [181][182][183]
Dal Khor Pakistan Indians and Pakistanis (specifically Punjabis) The term literally translates to "dal eater", connoting the supposedly higher emphasis on pulses and vegetables in the diet of countryside Punjabis. [184]
Dalle, Batak Dalle Indonesia Batak people Bataks who cannot speak their language or reject Batak culture. [185][186][187]
darky / darkey / darkie Worldwide Black people According to lexicographer Richard A. Spears, the word "darkie" used to be considered mild and polite, before it took on a derogatory and provocative meaning. [188][189]
DEI / DEI hire / Diversity hire United States Women and people of color (especially Black people) The term is sometimes used to imply that women, non-white people, and members of the LGBTQ community are inherently unqualified for positions of power, and that they can only get jobs through tokenism. [190][191]
Dhoti Nepal Indian or Madheshi people As reference to their indigenous clothing Dhoti worn by people of Indian subcontinent. [192]
Dink United States Southeast Asian, particularly Vietnamese people. Origin: 1965–70, Americanism. Also used as a disparaging term for a North Vietnamese soldier or guerrilla in the Vietnam War. (Note: If rendered in ALL CAPS, then DINK may be the benign lifestyle acronym for dual-income, no kids [a couple with two incomes and no child-raising expenses]) [193]
Dogan, dogun Canada Irish Catholics 19th century on; origin uncertain: perhaps from Dugan, an Irish surname. [194]
Dothead, Dot United States Hindu women In reference to the bindi. [195][196]
Dune coon United States Arabian people equivalent of sand nigger (below). See also Islamophobic trope. [197][198]

E

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Eight ball, 8ball Black people Referring to the black ball in pool. Slang, usually used disparagingly. [199]
Engelsman South Africa White South Africans of British descent whose first language is English Afrikaans: Englishman. A derogatory term used to refer to white South Africans of British descent whose first language is English. This is due to historical and cultural tensions between English-speaking and Afrikaans-speaking white South Africans, which were fueled by British colonialism and apartheid policies. Some Afrikaans-speaking people view the English-speaking minority as elitist and condescending, and the use of the term "Engelsman" reflects these attitudes. [200]
Eyetie United States, United Kingdom Italian people Originated through the mispronunciation of "Italian" as "Eye-talian". Slang usually used disparagingly (especially during World War II). [201][202][203]

F

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Fankui, fan-kui, fangui, gui-zi, guizi, gui Chiefly Southeast Asia Non-Chinese native people of Southeast Asia These words (and any variations of them) are considered extremely derogatory, since they allege that anyone other than the Chinese have terrible attitudes and are uncivilised idiots (Gui or Guizi itself means demon). [204][205][206][207]
Fresh off the boat, off the boat Asian Americans or immigrants in general Referring to immigrants who have traveled to another foreign country and have yet acculturated into the nation's ethnicity or language, but still perpetuate their cultures. The slur also was the name for a sitcom named 'Fresh Off The Boat'. [208][209]
Farang khi nok Thailand Poor white people Is slang commonly used to insult white people, equivalent to white trash, as khi means feces and nok means bird, referring to the white color of bird-droppings. [210]
Fenian Northern Ireland, Scotland Irish Catholics Derived from the Fenian Brotherhood. [211]
Festival children (Russian: Дети фестиваля) USSR (from late 1950s) Children of mixed ancestry, usually with a father who is black or (more rarely) other non-European origins It is believed that the first noticeable appearance of black and mixed-ancestry children in the USSR and Russia appeared after the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students of 1957. The term was often used ironically and sometimes in a mildly derogatory fashion.

This term is currently not used.

[212][213]
Feuj (verlan for juif) France Jewish people [214]
Fidschi(de) East Germany East or Southeast Asian people, particularly Vietnamese people German for Fiji, used to refer to anyone who looks East or Southeast Asian, particularly those of Vietnamese origin. [215]
Fjellabe Denmark Norwegian people Means mountain ape. Jocularly used by Danes mostly in sports. From the 1950s. Norway is mountainous while Denmark is flat without mountains. [216]
Flip United States Filipino people [217]
Franchute Chile, Argentina French people [34]
Frenk Ashkenazi Jews Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews Derived from Franks (as a reference to Western Europeans), due to the fact Sephardi Jews are Judaeo-Spanish speakers. [218]
Fritz, fricc, fryc, фриц, fricis United Kingdom, France, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Latvia German people from Friedrich (Frederick). [219][220]
Frog, Froggy, Frogeater, Froschfresser Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Germany Dutch people (formerly)
French and French Canadian people (currently) 		Before the 19th century, referred to the Dutch (as they were stereotyped as being marsh-dwellers). When France became Britain's main enemy, replacing the Dutch, the epithet was transferred to them, because of the French penchant for eating frogs' legs (see comparable French term Rosbif). Also known in Slavic countries, but only towards the (mainland) French, see Polish żabojad, Ukrainian zhaboyid (жабоїд), Russian lyagushatnik (лягушатник); as well as in Basque frantximant. [221][222][223][224]
Fuzzy-Wuzzy United Kingdom Hadendoa people Term used to refer to the Hadendoa warriors in the 19th century, in reference to their elaborate hairstyles. Not applicable in Australia, see Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. [225]

G

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Gabacho Spain, Chile French people From Occitan gavach meaning "one who speaks wrong." [226][34]
Mexico American people, French people Neutral or pejorative depending on context. [227]
Gabel Albania, Kosovo Romani people Expression of disdain for someone, with the setting "Maxhup" [228]
Gadjo Non-Romani people Technically a term for a person who does not possess Romanipen, it usually refers to non-Romanis and Romanis who do not live within Romani culture. [229]
Gaijin (外人) Japan Foreigners, espesically those of non-East Asian origin [230]
Galla Ethiopia Oromo people or others in Ethiopia and Somalia Used since 1670 [231][232]
Gam, Gammat South Africa Cape Coloured or Coloured people It means "a person who is low or of inferior status" in Afrikaans. [233][234]
Gans (Ганс) USSR German people, or more uncommonly Latvian people The term originated among the Soviet troops in World War II, coming from Russified form of the German first name Hans. [235][236][237]
Garoi Romania Romani people It means crow. [238]
Geomdung-i (검둥이) South Korea Black people Korean for coon [239]
Gexhë Kosovo Serbs of Šumadija Derogatory expression for the Serbs of southern Serbia, of Šumadija. [228]
Ghati India Maharashtrians Ethnic slur for Maharashtrians living in Ghats [240][241]
Gin Australia Aboriginal woman Moore (2004), "gin"
Gin jockey Australia White people A white person having casual sex with an Aboriginal woman. [242]
Godon France English people An antiquated pejorative expression. Possibly a corruption of "God-damn". [243][244]
Golliwog United States, Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand Darkskinned people, especially African-Caribbeans An expression which originally was a children's literature character and type of black doll but which eventually came to be used as a jibe against people with dark skin. [245]
Gook, Gook-eye, Gooky United States East and Southeast Asians, but particularly Koreans The earliest recorded example is dated 1920. Used especially for enemy soldiers. Its use has been traced to United States Marines serving in the Philippines in the early 20th century. It gained widespread notice as a result of the Korean and Vietnam wars. [246][247][248]
Goombah United States Italian people, Italian-Americans Initially applied to Italian or Italian-American men in general, it now also specifically carries connotations of stereotypical vulgar machismo and Italian Mafia or Italian-American Mafia involvement among ethnic Italians and Italian-Americans. However, "goombah" is also used among Italian-Americans themselves to refer to a friend or comrade; the word becomes pejorative mostly when used by a non-Italian to refer to an ethnic Italian or Italian-American in a derogatory or patronizing way rather than as a friendly term of address among Italian-Americans. Originates from the Southern Italian word cumpa or cumpari and the Standard Italian equivalent, compare, meaning "godfather" or "partner-in-crime". [249]
Gora South Asia White people From the Hindi gorā, meaning "fair, white". [250]
Goy, Goyim, Goyum Hebrew Non-Jewish people A Hebrew biblical term for "Nation" or "People". By Roman times it had also acquired the meaning of "non-Jew". In English, use may be benign, to refer to anyone who isn't Jewish, or controversial, as it can have pejorative connotations. [251][252]
Grago, Gragok (shrimp) Eurasians, Kristang people A term for Eurasians, and specifically for the Kristang people of Malaysia, many of whom were traditionally engaged in shrimp fishing. It often has pejorative connotations, especially when used by outsiders, though in recent generations members of the community have to some degree tried to reclaim the term. [253]
Greaseball, Greaser United States Mediterranean/Southern European and Hispanic people, and especially Italian people. Greaseball often generally refers to Italians or a person of Italian descent. Meanwhile, though it may be used as a shortening of greaseball to refer to Italians, greaser has been more often applied to Hispanic Americans or Mexican Americans. However, greaseball (and to a lesser extent, greaser) can also refer to any person of Mediterranean/Southern European descent or Hispanic descent, including Greeks, Spaniards, and the Portuguese, as well as Latin Americans.[254][255] Greaser also refer to members of a 1950-1960s subculture which Italian Americans and Hispanic Americans were stereotyped to be a part of. "Greaser" in reference to the subculture has taken on a less derogatory connotation since the 1950s. [256]
Greenhorn United States, New England region, especially Massachusetts. Portuguese people Can also be used in a non-derogatory context when not referring to the Portuguese to mean anyone inexperienced at something. [257]
Gringo Spanish speakers, mostly Latin America English speakers Sometimes used by Latino Americans. In Mexico, the term means an American. Likely from the Spanish word "griego", meaning Greek (similar to the English expression "It's all Greek to me"). [258][259][260][261]
Brazil Foreigners A colloquial neutral term for any foreigner, regardless of race, ethnicity or origin (including Portuguese people), or for a person whose native language is not Portuguese (including people whose native language is Spanish). [262][263][264][265]
Southern Brazil Italian descendants A colloquial neutral term for Italian descendants of southern Brazil, specially in Rio Grande do Sul [266]
Groid United States Black people Derived from "negroid". [267]
Gub, Gubba Australia White people Aboriginal term for white people [268]
Guiri Spain Foreigners Originally described the supporters of Queen Maria Christina. Now describes White Northern Europeans. [269][270]
Guizi (鬼子) Mainland China Non-Chinese Basically the same meaning as the term gweilo used in Hong Kong. More often used when referring foreigners as military enemies, such as riben guizi (日本鬼子, Japanese devils, because of Second Sino-Japanese War), meiguo guizi (美国鬼子, American devils, because of Korean War). [271][272] [citation needed]
Guido, Guidette United States Italian Americans Derives from the Italian given name, Guido. Guidette is the female counterpart. Used mostly in the Northeastern United States as a stereotype for working-class urban Italian Americans. [273][274]
Guinea, Ginzo Italian people Most likely derived from "Guinea Negro", implying that Italians are dark or swarthy-skinned like the natives of Guinea. The diminutive "Ginzo" probably dates back to World War II and is derived from Australian slang picked up by United States servicemen in the Pacific Theater. [275]
Gummihals Switzerland German people Literally "rubber neck" [276]
Gusano Cuba Cuban exiles after the revolution Literally "worm" [277][278][279]
Gweilo, gwailo, kwai lo (鬼佬) Southern Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau White men Loosely translated as "foreign devil"; more literally, might be "ghost dude/bloke/guy/etc". Gwei means "ghost". The color white is associated with ghosts in China. A lo is a regular guy (i.e. a fellow, a chap, or a bloke). Once a mark of xenophobia, the word is now in general, informal use. [280]
Gyp/Gip Romani people Shortened version of "gypsy" [281]
Gypsy, Gyppo, gippo, gypo, gyppie, gyppy, gipp United Kingdom, Australia Egyptian people and Romani people Derived from "Egyptian", Egypt being mistakenly considered these people's origin. [282]

H

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Hairyback South Africa Afrikaners [283]
Hajji, Hadji, Haji United States Military Iraqi people May also be used to describe anyone from a predominantly Muslim country. Derived from the honorific Al-Hajji, the title given to a Muslim who has completed the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). [284][285][286]
Half-breed Worldwide Multi-ethnic people Métis is a French term, also used in Canadian English, for a half-breed, and mestizo is the equivalent in Spanish, although these are not offensive per se. [287][288][citation needed]
Half-caste England, Australia Mixed race (usually between Australian Aboriginal and white people in Australian parlance) Originally used as a legal and social term. [289][290]
Hambaya, hamba (Sinhala: හම්බයා, හම්බ) Sri Lanka Muslims in Sri Lanka From හම්බන්කාරයා (hambankārayā); derived from the Sinhala word for the sampan boats (Sinhala: හම්බන්, hamban) used by seafarers from the Malay Archipelago, from whom Sri Lankan Malays trace partial descent. Its use as an epithet for Muslims (Moors) traces back to the late 19th century colonial period. [291]
Haole United States, Hawaiian Non-Hawaiian people, almost always white people. Can be used neutrally, dependent on context. [292]
Heeb, Hebe United States Jewish people Derived from the word "Hebrew." [293][294]
Heigui (黑鬼) China, Taiwan Black people Literally means "black ghost" or "black devil", used similarly to English phrases such as nigga or nigger. [295][296]
Heukhyeong (흑형) South Korea Black people Korean: Black brother. A Korean ethnic slur sometimes for black people. [297]
Hevosmies Finland Romani people From hevos- + mies, referring to Gypsy horsemanship. [298]
Hike United States Italian immigrants Sometimes used with or to distinguish from "Hunk" ("Hunky"). [299][300]
Hillbilly United States Appalachian or Ozark Americans [301]
Honky, honkey, honkie United States White people Derived from an African American pronunciation of "hunky," the disparaging term for a Hungarian laborer. The first record of its use as an insulting term for a white person dates from the 1950s. [302][unreliable source?]
New Zealand European New Zealanders Used by Māori to refer to New Zealanders of European descent. [303]
Hori New Zealand Māori From the formerly common Maorified version of the English name George. [304]
Hottentot, Hotnot South Africa Khoisans and Cape Coloureds or Coloureds A derogatory term historically used to refer to the Khoisan people of Southern Africa and their descendants, coloureds. It originated from the Dutch settlers who arrived in the region in the 17th century. [305][306]
Houtkop South Africa Black people Literally "wooden head" [307]
Huan-a, Huana Taiwan and Southeast Asia Non-Chinese native people This word is derogatory because huan-a means "foreigner" which portrays non-Chinese natives as not human.[citation needed] In Taiwan, it carries the connotation of "aborigine". In Indonesia, it refers to non-Chinese native people descended from the many ethnolinguistic groups native to Indonesia commonly known by the term pribumi (e.g., Javanese, Sundanese, Batak, and Buginese). [308][309][310][311]
Huinca Argentina, Chile Non-Mapuche Chileans, non-Mapuche Argentines Mapuche term dating back at least to the Conquest of Chile. [312][313]
Hujaa (хужаа) Mongolia Chinese people Equivalent to the word chink. [314]
Hun United States, United Kingdom German people (United States, United Kingdom) Germans, especially German soldiers; popular during World War I. Derived from a speech given by Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany to the German contingent sent to China during the Boxer Rebellion in which he exhorted them to "be like Huns" (i.e., savage and ruthless) to their Chinese enemy. [315]
Ireland Protestants and British soldiers A Protestant in Northern Ireland or historically, a member of the British military in Ireland ("Britannia's huns"). [316][317]
Hunky, Hunk United States Central European laborers It originated in the coal regions of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where Poles and other immigrants from Central Europe (Hungarians (Magyar), Rusyns, Slovaks) came to perform hard manual labor in the mines. [318][300]
Hurri Finland Swedish-speaking population of Finland, Swedish people Initially used as a derogatory term for the Swedish-speaking minority of Finland, sometimes used as a slur for any Swedish speaker [319]
Hymie United States Jewish people Derived from the personal name Hyman (from the Hebrew name Chayyim). Jesse Jackson provoked controversy when he referred to New York City as "Hymietown" in 1984. Has also been spelled "Heimie", as a reflection of popular Jewish last names ending in -heim. [320]

I

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Ikey / ike / iky: a Jew [from Isaac] Jewish people Derived from the name Isaac, an important figure in Hebrew culture. [321]
Ikey-mo / ikeymo Jewish people Derived from the names Isaac and Moses, two important figures in Hebrew culture. [322]
Indon Malaysia, Singapore Indonesian people Clipping of Indonesia. [323]
Indognesial / Indonesial Malaysia Indonesian people Which similar to "Indon" term mixed with "Dog" and "Sial" (Malay word for "Damn"). [324]
Intsik Philippines Chinese Filipino people Used in Filipino/Tagalog and other Philippine languages. Based on the Philippine Hokkien term, Chinese: 𪜶 叔; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: in chek; lit. 'his/her/their uncle'. [114]
Inyenzi Rwanda Tutsi people A person of the Tutsi ethnic group in Africa. Literally means "Cockroach" and reportedly derives from how Tutsi rebels would attack at night and retreat, being hard to kill, like a cockroach. Most notably came to worldwide prominence around the time of the Rwanda genocide, as it was used by the RTLM in order to incite genocide. [325][326][327]
Indian Giver United States Native Americans Presumes that when Native Americans give gifts they intend to take them back. It is applied to anyone who does this to paint them as performing an action akin to an "Indian". [328]
Injun United States Native Americans Corruption of "Indian" [329]
Inselaffe Germany English people, British people in general Translates to "Island monkey" [330][331]
Inu Japan Ainu people Word literally meaning dog in Japanese. Pun of unknown origin, but used to compare the hirsute genetics of Ainu people with the fur coat of dogs. Possibly also has to do with Matagi hunters, who have Ainu ancestry, working with Akita Inu. Usually used pejoratively like bitch, another term comparing people to dogs. [332][333][334]
Itor Bangladesh People from the Greater Cumilla region (Cumilla, Brahmanbaria and Chandpur) The term "ITOR" borrowed from the English acronym for "Information Technology Organiser" was a title given by the British to people from the Tipperah district (now the districts of Cumilla, Brahmanbaria and Chandpur) in the Bengal province due to their quick thinking, cleverness and consistent success. It is now used as slang by Bangladeshis to refer to people from these three districts. [335]
Itaker Germany Italian people Formerly used as a nickname for Italian soldiers and the since the 1960s as a slur for Italian immigrants. [336]

J

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Jackeen Ireland Dublin people Believed to be in reference to the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom. By adding the Irish diminutive suffix -een meaning little to Jack thereby ¨meaning "Little Jack" and implying "little Englishmen". It was more commonly used to separate those of Anglo-Irish heritage from those of Gaelic heritage. While the term is applied to Dublin people alone today, it was applied in the past as a pejorative term against all city dwellers and not just those in Dublin. [337][338]
Jakun Malaysia Unsophisticated people, from the Malay name of an indigenous ethnic group. [339]
Jamet, Jamet kuproy Indonesia Javanese people Jamet stands for Jawa metal (a metalhead Javanese), while kuproy stands for kuli proyek (construction workers). [340]
Japa Brazil Japanese people Usually an affectionate way of referring to Japanese people (or, more generally, East Asian people), although it may be considered a slur. This term is never censored (as a slur typically would be) when it appears in mass media. [341]
Jap United States Japanese people Mostly found use during World War II, post-WWII. [342]
Jewish women Usually written in all capital letters as an acronym for "Jewish-American princess," a stereotype of Jewish American women as materialistic or pampered. [343]
Japie, yarpie White, rural South Africans Derived from plaasjapie, "farm boy". [344]
Jawir Indonesia Javanese people, especially Javanese people with darker skin Comes from the words "Jawa" and "Ireng" from a Javanese word means black [345]
Jerry Commonwealth German people, especially soldiers Probably an alteration of "German". Origin of Jerry can. Used especially during World War I and World War II. [346]
Jewboy United States, United Kingdom Jewish boys Originally directed at young Jewish boys who sold counterfeit coins in 18th century London. [347][348]
Jidan/Jidov/Jidovin(ă) Romania Jewish person. [349]
Jiggaboo, jiggerboo, niggerboo, jiggabo, jigarooni, jijjiboo, zigabo, jig, jigg, jigger United States Black people with stereotypical black features (e.g., dark skin, wide nose, and big lips). From a Bantu verb tshikabo, meaning "they bow the head docilely," indicating meek or servile individuals. [350][351][352]
Jim Crow United States Black people [353]
Jjangkkae Korea Chinese people [354]
Jjokbari Korea Japanese people [355]
Jock, jocky, jockie United Kingdom Scottish people Scots language nickname for the personal name John, cognate to the English, Jack. Occasionally used as an insult, but also in a respectful reference when discussing Scottish troops, particularly those from Highland regiments. For example, see the 9th (Scottish) Division. Same vein as the English insult for the French, as Frogs. In Ian Rankin's detective novel Tooth and Nail the protagonist – a Scottish detective loaned to the London police – suffers from prejudice by English colleagues who frequently use "Jock" and "Jockland" (Scotland) as terms of insult; the book was based on the author's own experience as a Scot living in London. [356]
Jungle bunny United States, Commonwealth Black people [357]
Jutku, jutsku Finland Jewish people [358]

K

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Kaew (แกว) Northeastern Thailand Vietnamese people [359][360]
Kaffir, kaffer, kaffir, kafir, kaffre, kuffar South Africa Black and Cape Coloured or Coloured people Also caffer or caffre. from Arabic kafir meaning "disbeliever". [361][362]
Kaffir boetie South Africa Black and Cape Coloured sympathizers during apartheid Meaning "Kaffir brothers", it is analogous to "negro lover" in English. The term is outdated and no longer used. [363]
Kanglu, Kangladeshi Bangladesh, India, Pakistan Bangladeshis A portmanteu of the words kaṅgāl (meaning poor, broke, pauper) and Bangladeshi. It is used to refer to Bangladeshis, associating them with poverty or immigration issues. [364]
Kalar Myanmar Muslim citizens who are "black-skinned", Bengali, Rohingya or any South Asian Muslim or Hindus or "undesirable aliens." The word "Kalar" is derived from the Burmese word "ကုလား" (ku.la:). It is a word often used in Myanmar, usually in a negative way to refer to people with darker skin, especially those of South Asian descent (especially Bengalis or Rohingyas) or dark-skinned Muslims and Hindus. [365]
Kalbit Russian Central Asians [366]
Kalia, Kalu, Kallu Indian Darkskinned people Literally means "blackie", generally used for black-skinned people in India. Can also have a racist overtone when referring to Africans. [367][368]
Katwa, Katwe Indian Muslim males Word used to describe Muslim males for having a circumcised penis as mentioned in the Khitan of Islam. [369][370]
Kanaka Australia Pacific Islanders [371][372]
Kanake German Turkish people, foreigners in general Originally used to refer to Native Polynesians. To some extent re-appropriated. [373]
Kano Philippines White Americans Usually used in Filipino (Tagalog) or other Philippine languages. Shortened from the Filipino word "Amerikano". It usually refers to Americans, especially a stereotypical male white American, which may extend to western foreigners that may fit the stereotype which the speaker is not familiar with, especially those from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, etc. [374]
Kaouiche, Kawish Canadian French Native Americans [375][376]
Käskopp Germany Dutch people Middle German slur that translates to "cheese head". [373]
Katsap, kacap, kacapas Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Russia Russian people Ukrainian: кацап, Lithuanian: kacapas; self-deprecating usage by Russians. [citation needed]
Kebab Muslims, usually of Arabian,Turkic or Iranian descent. Its origin is a Serbian music video that was recorded in 1993 during the Yugoslav Wars but the phrase has spread globally amongst far-right groups and the alt-right as a meme between 2006 and 2008. Famously Turkish internet users parodied the sentiment of Serbian nationalists online, with a satirical incoherent rant that ended with the phrase "remove kebab" being repeated. Although the meme initially intended to parody racism, this meaning behind the meme was lost once it became common in alt-right discourse. [377]
Keling, kling Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore Indian people In Indonesian, the term can be applied to any person with dark complexion, not only of Indian descent, but also to native Indonesians with darker complexion and Africans. The term is derived from the ancient Indian region of Kalinga, where many immigrants to countries further east originated. [378]
Kemosabe/Kemosahbee United States Native Americans The term used by the fictional Native American sidekick Tonto as the "Native American" name for the Lone Ranger in the American television and radio programs The Lone Ranger. [379][380]
Kettō (毛唐) Japan Westerners Literally means "foreigners full of body hair". Alternative form: ketōjin (毛唐人) [381]
Khach (Russian: Хач), Khachik (Russian: Хачик) Russia Peoples of the Caucasus, particularly North Caucasus and Armenians From Armenian խաչ khach, meaning cross (cf. khachkar). Khatchik is also an Armenian given name coming from the same root. [382][383]
Kharadim Israel Haredi Jews Blend word of khara (shit in Hebrew) + Haredi [384]
Kharkhuwa India Assamese people [citation needed]
Khawal Egypt Gay people [385]
Khokhol (Russian: Хохол) Russia, Poland Ukrainian people Derived from a term for a traditional Cossack-style haircut. [386]
Khựa Vietnam Chinese people Variant form of "Tàu khựa" [387]
Ikula (s.) / Amakula (p.) South Africa A person or people Indian heritage. [388]
Kike United States Jews Possibly from קײַקל kikel, Yiddish for "circle". Immigrant Jews who could not read English often signed legal documents with an "O" (similar to an "X", to which Jews objected because "X" also symbolizes a cross). Also known by the euphemism "K-word".[389] [390]
Kimchi Korean people [391]
Kıro Turkey Kurdish men A word used to describe rude and hairy men, pejoratively refers to the Kurds. [392]
Kitayoza китаёза Russia East Asian people, especially the Chinese. Derived from "kitayets". (Cyrillic: китаец) [393][394]
Knacker Ireland Irish Travelers [395][396]
Kojaengi (코쟁이) South Korea Westerners From 코 ("nose") and -쟁이 (derogatory suffix), prevalently used during the 19th and 20th centuries to refer to White foreigners [397]
Kolorad Ukraine Pro-Russian separatists and Russian invaders In reference to Russian St. George ribbon whose coloration resembles the stripes of the Colorado beetle. [398][399]
Krankie England Scottish people [400]
Krakkemut Denmark Arabs, Middle Easterns While originally being used against greenlanders, it is now mostly used against Middle Easterns and Arabs. The word comes from the greenlandic word "Qaqqamut" meaning "to the mountain, up the mountain", however, the danish people began to pick up the word as an aggressive slur, and used it against the greenlanders, and slowly, it became a slur against the more frequent Arab and Middle Eastern immigrants in Denmark. [401]
Kraut United States, Canada, Commonwealth German people Derived from sauerkraut, used most specifically during World War II. [402]
Kūpapa Māori New Zealand Māori people Term used to describe Māori people who cooperate with or who are subservient to white authority figures (similar to "Uncle Tom" qv). From historical Māori troops who sided with the colonial government in the 19th century. [403]
Kuronbō (黒ん坊) Japan Black people A derogatory that literally means "darkie" or "nigga" in Japanese. The term has been used as a racial slur against black people, particularly during Japan's colonial era. [404]
Kkamdungi (깜둥이) South Korea Black people Korean for nigga or nigger. [405]

L

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Labas Russia Lithuanian people Derived from greetings: Latvian labrīt/labdien/labvakar and Lithuanian labas rytas/laba diena/labas vakaras, meaning "good morning/day/evening". [406]
Land thief South Africa White South Africans The term implies that white people stole land from black people during the Apartheid era, and are therefore responsible for the current economic and social inequalities in the country. [388]
Landya India (Maharashtra in specific) Muslims Used primarily by Marathi people; the term translates to "small penis", referring to circumcision. [407]
Laomaozi (老毛子) China Russian people Popularized from Northeastern China [408]
Lapp Scandinavia Sámi people Used mainly by Norwegians and Swedes. The word itself means "patch." "Lapland", considered non-offensive, refers to Sámi territory known as "Sápmi", Finland's northernmost county, or the province in northernmost Sweden. [409]
Lebo, Leb Australia A Lebanese person, usually a Lebanese Australian. [410]
Leupe lonko Chile German people Used by some Huilliche people of southern Chile. Means "toasted heads" in reference to the fair hair of many Germans. Originated during the German colonization of Valdivia, Osorno and Llanquihue in the mid-19th century. [411]
Limey United States British people Comes from the historical British naval practice of giving sailors limes to stave off scurvy. [412][413]
Locust (蝗蟲) Hong Kong Mainland Chinese people [414]
Londo Indonesia White people Commonly used by Javanese people. Derived from "Belanda" (Netherlands). [415]
Lubra Likely derived from a Tasmanian Aboriginal language.[416] Australian Aboriginal Women [417]
Lundy Northern Ireland Irish People A unionist that sympathises the Nationalists in Northern Ireland. The name emanates from Robert Lundy, a former Governor of Londonderry during the Siege of Derry in 1688, who is reviled as being a traitor to Protestants and as such, an effigy of him is burned each year. [418][419]
Lugan Lithuanian people [420][421]
Lach/lyakh (Ukrainian: лях) Ukraine, Russia Polish people Lach is a term that originally referred to a representative of Slav tribes living roughly in what is today eastern Poland and western Ukraine, more commonly known today as Lendians, but later became associated with all Polish tribes. In other languages, Lach and derived expressions are neutral. [422][423]

M

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Mabuno/Mahbuno Zimbabwe Local European people held in contempt, commonly white Africans of European ancestry. [424]
Macaca Europe African people Originally used by francophone colonists in North Africa, also used in Europe against Immigrants from Africa. [425][426]
Macaronar Romania Italian people Roughly means "macaroni eater/maker". [427]
Madrasi Northern India South Indian people Originally used as a demonym to refer to the people of the Madras Presidency, which included most of South India. Nowadays, the term is used mainly as a slur by some North Indian people against South Indians, and refers to a harmful stereotype of all South Indian people. [428][429][430][431]
Majus (مجوس) Arab world Persian people A term meaning Zoroastrian, Magi, fire worshipper. [432][433][434]
Malakh-khor (ملخ خور) Iran Arab people Meaning "locust eater," referring to the eating of locusts in Arab cuisine. [435][436][437][438][439][440]
Malau South Africa Khoisans and Cape Coloureds or Coloureds A derogatory Afrikaans slang word derived from Xhosa, used to insult coloured people and Khoisans by suggesting they lack cultural and racial roots and are therefore uncivilized. Its origin can be traced back to the Xhosa word "amalawu" or "ilawu", meaning "Hottentot". [441]
Malaun Bangladesh Hindus "Malaun" is derived from Bengali মালাউন (maalaaun), which in turn was derived from Arabic "ملعون" (mal'un), which means "cursed" or deprived of God's mercy. [442]
Malingsia / Malingsial / Malingsialan Indonesia Malaysian people Used in Indonesia, derived from "maling" (Javanese for "thief") and "Malaysia". It often arises due to perceived instances of Malaysia claiming aspects of Indonesian culture [443]
Malon Indonesia Malaysian people Used as the reply to Indon word. Malon is (mostly) a short for "Malaysia Bloon" (dumb Malaysians). [444]
Mangal / Mango / Mangasar / Mangusta Bulgaria Romani people From Bulgarian "мангал" (mangal) – a type of pot. Some variants are derived from the similar-sounding loanwords "манго" (mango) – mango and "мангуста" (mangusta) – mongoose. [445][446][447]
Manne Finland Romani men Possibly from Swedish man or from the name Herman. It refers to Romani men, however can also refer to Romani people generally. [448]
Marokaki (מרוקקי) Israel Moroccan Jewish people Derived from "Maroko" (Hebrew pronunciation for "Morocco") + "Kaki" (which means "shit", "crap" in Hebrew slang). [449]
Maruta (丸太/マルタ) Japan Chinese people Originally a term used by Unit 731 referring to its human test subjects, Nowadays used by Netto-uyoku sometimes. [450]
Mau-Mau United States Black people derived from Kenyans of the Kikuyu tribe involved in the Mau Mau Rebellion in the 1950s. [451]
Mayate/Mayatero Black people Literally the Spanish colloquial name of the Figeater beetle. [452]
Mayonnaise Monkey United States White people A term commonly used by black people. A person with a "mayonnaise"-like complexion. [453]
Mick Irish people [454]
Milogorac Serbia Montenegrins Deriving from Milo Đukanović (former president of Montenegro), used to refer to Montenegrin nationalists/Montenegrins who don't identify as Serbs. [455]
Mocro Dutch Dutch-Moroccan people [456]
Mohamedaner Denmark Person adherent to Islam Derived from Muhammad. [457]
Mof (singular)
Moffen (plural) 		Dutch German people [458]
Momo/Momos India Northeast Indians and Nepalese Based on momos, a dumpling made by northeast Indians, Nepalese and Tibetans. [123]
Monkey Europe Usually people of African, Melanesian, or Indigenous Australian descent. A universal slur, meaning it has the same meaning in different languages. [459][21][460][461][462]
Moskal, Ukrainian: москаль, Polish: moskal, Russian: москаль, German: moskowiter Ukraine, Belarus, Poland Russians Historically a neutral designation for a person from Muscovy, currently refers to Russians. [463][464][465][466]
Moon Cricket United States Black people The origin is obscure. May refer to slaves singing at night as crickets chirp at dusk. [467]
Mountain Turk Turkey Kurdish people Former Turkish governments denied the Kurds their own ethnicity, calling them Mountain Turks (dağ Türkleri). [468][469]
MTN South Sudan Dinka people This is derived from MTN's slogan, “everywhere you go". It was repurposed to suggest that the Dinka were encroaching on other groups’ territory to graze their animals everywhere. [470]
Muklo Philippines Filipino Muslims, notably among Bangsamoro ethnic groups First used by soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines stationed in Mindanao as an ethnic slur towards the Muslim Moro insurgents. [471]
Mulignan/Mulignon/Moolinyan United States Black people Used by Italian-Americans. Deriving from "mulignana" the word for eggplant in some South Italian linguistic variants.[472] Also called a mouli. [473][474][475]
Munt Rhodesia, originally military Black people, usually men [476]
Mustalainen Finland Romani people Literally "blackling," "blackie," "the black people", when "romani" is the neutral term. [477]
Maxhup Kosovo Romani people Expression of contempt for someone, usually Romani people. [228]
Mzungu Eastern and Southern Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo White people May be both pejorative and affectionate, depending on usage. [citation needed]

N

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Namak Haram Pakistan Afghans in Pakistan Derogatory term used for Afghan refugees in Pakistan translating to “traitors”. [478]
Nawar Levant Romani people Arab term for Romani people and other groups sharing an itinerant lifestyle. [citation needed]
Neftenya / Neftegna / Naftenya / Naftegna Ethiopia/Amharic Amhara people Literally means "rifle-bearer", relates to 19th century Ethiopian history. Since 1975, used as inflammatory term by Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF, governing party) officials against Amharas; continued inflammatory/derogatory usage in 2020 online media two years after EPRDF loss of political power. [479][480][481]
Němčour, nimchura (німчура), nemchura (немчура) Slavic languages German people [482]
Nere Bengali Hindus Muslims [483]
Niakoué France East or Southeast Asian people A corrupted Vietnamese word with similar to "yokel", "country bumpkin", etc. [484]
Niglet / Negrito Black children [485]
Nig-nog, nog, or Nignog Commonwealth Black people Originally used to refer to a novice – a foolish or naive person – before being associated with black people. [486][487]
Nigger / neeger (Estonian) / neekeri (Finnish) / niger / nig / nigor / nigra / nigre (Caribbean) / nigar / niggur / nigga / niggah / niggar / nigguh / niggress / nigette / negro / neger International/Worldwide Black people, especially African-Americans From the Spanish and Portuguese word negro ("black"), derived from the Latin niger. The Spanish or Portuguese term, or other such languages deriving the term from it such as Filipino, may vary in its connotation per country, where some countries, the connotation may range from either positive, neutral, or negative, depending on context. For example, in Spanish and Portuguese, "negro" may simply refer to the color black. Among Spanish dialects in different countries, it may have either positive or negative connotations, such as describing someone similarly to my darling or my honey in Argentina, or describing someone to be angry in Spain. In Portuguese, the term "negro" is often preferred to the more offensive preto; however, due to the influence of US-American pop culture, the "n-word" can be found in the language as an anglicism, with identical connotations as the English term. [488]
Niggeritis / Negroitis Caribbean Black people To feel sleepy after eating is referred to in and around the Caribbean as having "niggeritis", a direct allusion to the stereotype of laziness of black Africans. [489]
Nip United States, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom Japanese people Someone of Japanese descent (shortened version of Nipponese, from Japanese name for Japan, Nippon). [490]
Nitchie / neche / neechee / neejee / nichi / nichiwa / nidge / nitchee / nitchy Canada Native Canadians A Native American (from the Algonquian word for "friend"). [491]
Non-Pri, Non-Pribumi Indonesia Indonesians of foreign descent, especially Chinese Indonesians The term pribumi was coined after Indonesian independence to replace the derogatory Dutch term Inlander ("native"). "Non-pribumi," often simply "non-pri," was then used to refer to Indonesians of foreign descent and was generally considered to suggest that they were not full citizens. Use of both "pribumi" and "non-pribumi" by government departments was banned by President B.J. Habibie in 1998 according to Inpres (Instruksi Presiden, lit. Presidential Instruction) No. 26 of 1998, along with instruction to stop discrimination by race in government. [492]
Northern Monkey United Kingdom Northern English people Used in the south of England, relating to the supposed stupidity and lack of sophistication of those in the north of the country. See also Southern Faerie. In some cases, this has been adopted in the north of England, with a pub in Leeds even taking the name "The Northern Monkey". [493][494]
Nusayri Syria and the Levant Members of the Alawite sect of Shi'a Islam. Once a common and neutral term derived from the name of Ibn Nusayr, the sect's founder, it fell out of favour within the community in the early decades of the 20th century due to the perception that it implied a heretical separateness from mainstream Islam. Resurgent in the context of the ongoing Syrian civil war, the term is now often employed by Sunni fundamentalist enemies of the government of Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite, to suggest that the faith is a human invention lacking divine legitimacy. [495][496]

O

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Ofay African American Vernacular White people First recorded in the late 19th century. Origin unknown. Suggestions include Yoruba ófé, "to disappear"; pig Latin for "foe"; and French au fait, "socially proper". [497][498]
Oláh Hungarian-speaking territories Romanian people Evolved to a pejorative term, originates from the historical designation of Romanians earlier the 19th century. [499]
Orc Ukraine Russian soldiers Orc (Cyrillic: орк, romanised: ork), plural orcs (Russian and Ukrainian: орки, Russian romanisation: orki, Ukrainian: orky), is a pejorative used by Ukrainians[500] to refer to an invading Russian soldier[501][502] during the Russo-Ukrainian War. It comes from the name of the fictional humanoid monsters of the same name from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings.
Oreo United States Black people Used as early as the 1960s. Refers to a black person who is perceived as acting white, and therefore black on the outside and white on the inside like an Oreo cookie. [503][504][505]
Oven Dodger Jewish people Implying that one or one's ancestors avoided dying in the Holocaust and so avoid the crematorium ovens. [506]
Overner United Kingdom, Isle of Wight Mainland United Kingdom Residents A term used by residents of the Isle of Wight, sometimes pejoratively, to refer to people from the mainland United Kingdom. [507]

P

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Paddy United Kingdom Irish people Derived from Pádraig/Patrick. Often derogatory; however, the sister of Lord Edward FitzGerald, a major leader of the United Irishmen of 1798, proclaimed that he was "a Paddy and no more" and that "he desired no other title than this". [citation needed][508][509]
Paddy wagon Irish people As a reference to a police van, is seen by Irish people as insulting [510]
Pajeet, Jeet Worldwide Indian people, particularly Hindus and Sikhs An invented term for Indian people, particularly adherents of Hinduism and Sikhism, allegedly originating on 4chan. [511][512][513][514][515]
Pākehā New Zealand New Zealanders of non-Māori origin. A Te Reo Māori term for New Zealanders with no Polynesian ancestry. The origins of the word is unknown, but there are two common interpretations, "light skin" and "pale, imaginary beings resembling men". It is likely pre-colonial Māori believed Europeans were mythical beings from Māori mythology. The word Pākehā is now commonly used as a word interchangeable with "white" or "European". Language experts and government departments alike do not believe the word has derogatory origins, but some New Zealanders of European decent consider it a derogatory term. [516][517][518][519][520]
Paki, Pakkis United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Norway Pakistanis, other South Asians A contemptuous term for a person from Pakistan or South Asia by birth or descent, especially one living in Britain. [512][521][522][523]
Palagi Pacific Islands White people A Samoan term for a white person, found throughout the Pacific islands. Not usually derogatory unless used in reference to a local to imply they have assimilated into Western culture. [524]
Paleface Native Americans White people [525]
Pancake Face, Pancake Asian people [526]
Papoose United States, Canada Native American children [527]
Paraíba Brazil Northeastern Brazilian people One of the 9 states in the Northeast Region of Brazil. As a slur, it refers generically to any Northeastern person. Used mainly in Rio de Janeiro, the term is related to the Northeastern immigration of the second half of the 20th century. [35]
Parsubang, Parsolam Indonesia (North Sumatra) Batak people or non-Batak people Batak Dalle and non-Batak people who refuse to consume pork, canine meat, blood, or alcoholic beverages. All are considered haram in Islam. Parsolam itself is a wordplay of solam/silom/selam, an old epithet for Islam and Muslims. [187][528][529]
Pastel de flango Brazil East Asian people Used mostly to refer to people of Chinese and Japanese origin. Pastel is Portuguese for any pastry and so is used for wonton in Brazil. Flango is eye dialect of frango (Portuguese for chicken) ridiculing Asian pronunciation. [530][531][532]
Paša Serbs Bosniaks Literally meaning Pasha, used by Serbs originated during the Bosnian war to generally mock Bosniak Muslims who wanted keep Ottoman titles and place-names. The modern term is used to refer to old Bosniak men who were pictured in wartime cartoons as being "fat as a pasha." [533]
Peckerwood Southern African American people and Upper-class White people Poor, rural White people [534][535]
Peenoise English-speaking Southeast Asia Filipinos Usually used in English or sometimes in Filipino (Tagalog) and other Philippine languages. Compound of pee + noise, likened to Pinoy, the colloquial diminutive demonym for Filipinos. The implication makes fun of their high-pitched voice and tendency to scream when speaking online, especially in online gaming and esports. [536]
Perker Denmark Arabs, Middle Eastern Portmanteau of "perser" (Persian) and "tyrker" (Turk). The use of it is commonly used towards Middle Eastern immigrants [537][538]
Pepper or Pepsi Canada French Canadians or Québécois. [539][540]
Pickaninny African American or West Indies child [541][542]
Piefke Austria Prussians and Germans [citation needed]
Pikey / piky / piker United Kingdom Irish Travellers, Romani people, and vagrant lower-class/poor people 19th century on; derived from "turnpike". [543]
Pindos / Pendos (Russian: Пиндос) Russia Americans Universal disparaging term to refer to all Americans. Related slur terms can refer to the United States ─ such as Pindosiya, Pindostan (Russian: Пиндосия, Пиндостан) and United States of Pindosiya. [544][545]
Pilak Sabahans Filipinos Regional word for "silver" or "money". Particularly targets immigrants. [546][547]
Pink pig South Africa White people [388]
Plastic Paddy Ireland Estranged Irish People Someone who knows little of Irish culture, but asserts their 'Irish' identity. Can refer to foreign nationals who claim Irishness based solely on having Irish relatives. Often used in the same sense as poseur and wannabe. [548][549]
Plouc France Bretons Used to mean Breton immigrants that came to Paris and extended to mean hillbillies. The term comes from the prefix "plou" found in many Breton city names and toponyms.
Look up plouc in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
 [550]
Pocho / pocha Southwest United States, Mexico Adjective for a person of Mexican heritage who is partially or fully assimilated into United States culture (literally, "diluted, watered down (drink); undersized (clothing)"). See also "Chicano". [551]
Pocahontas United States Native Americans Refers to a distorted narrative of Pocahontas, a Native American woman, in which the 17th-century daughter of Powhatan who negotiated with the English at Jamestown, married an English colonist and converted to Christianity. [552][553][554]
Polack, Polacke, Polak, Polock Polish or Slavic people From the Polish endonym, Polak (see Name of Poland). Note: the proper Swedish demonym for Polish people is polack, and the Norwegian equivalent is polakk. [555][556][557][558]
Polaco Spain Catalan people [citation needed]
Polaca Brazil Prostitute In Brazilian Portuguese the word (meaning "Polish woman") became synonymous to "prostitute". [559]
Polentone Italy Northern Italians Referring to them as a "polenta eater". [560]
Pom, Pohm, Pommy, Pommie, Pommie Grant Australia, New Zealand, South Africa British Usually non-derogatory, but may be derogatory depending on context. [561]
Porch Monkey Black people [562]
Porridge wog Scots [563]
Portagee United States Portuguese people and Portuguese Americans Slur for Portuguese Americans immigrants. [564]
Potet Norway Ethnic Norwegians Means "potato" in Norwegian and is mostly used negatively among non-Western immigrants when talking about or trying to offend ethnic Norwegians. Means "light skin like a potato". [565]
Prairie nigger Native American [566]
Prindapan Indonesia Indian people From the city of Vrindavan, popularized in Indonesia as the setting of the Indian animated show Little Krishna which aired in Indonesia during the 2010s. [567][568]
Prod Northern Ireland Northern Irish Protestants [569]
Promdi Philippines Filipinos from countryside (understood as provinces) who have limited or no knowledge about Metro Manila or other big cities by the time they first arrive From a pronunciation spelling of English "from the (province)". This term can be offending or stereotypical, as it is often used to make fun of people who first arrive in a big city and wear unfashionable clothes or speak in a rural-like accent, common stereotypes of people coming from the countryside. It is being reclaimed as a symbol of pride. It is often synonymous with the word probinsyano/probinsyana. [570]
Pshek Russian Polish males [citation needed]

Q

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Quashie, Quashi Caribbean Black people Often used on those who were often gullible or unsophisticated. From the West African name Kwazi, often given to a child born on a Sunday. [571][572][573][574]

R

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Raghead Arabs, Indian Sikhs, etc. Derived from those people wearing traditional headdress such as turbans or keffiyehs. See towel head. Sometimes used generically for all Islamic nations. [575][576]
Ramasamy British-ruled Southern Africa Indians, Ramasamy is a common name used mostly by Tamil people. The racially divided southern Africa was inhabited by a large number of indentured labourers from India of whom Tamils were the majority. [577][578]
Rastus United States African Americans A stereotypical term. [579]
Razakars Bengali Akin to the western term Judas. [580]
Redleg Barbados White people Used to refer to the islands' laborer-class, given how pale skin tends to burn easily. [581]
Redneck United States White Americans Applied to working-class white people perceived to be crass, unsophisticated, and reactionary; closely associated with rural whites of the Southern United States. [582]
Redskin Native Americans Often used in the names of sports teams, such as the Washington Redskins, now known as the Washington Commanders. See Native American name controversy. [583]
Remove Kebab Muslims, usually of Arabian or Turkic descent. Its origin is a Serbian music video that was recorded in 1993 during the Yugoslav Wars but the phrase has spread globally amongst far-right groups and the alt-right as a meme between 2006 and 2008. Famously Turkish internet users parodied the sentiment of Serbian nationalists online, with a satirical incoherent rant that ended with the phrase "remove kebab" being repeated. Although the meme initially intended to parody racism, this meaning behind the meme was lost once it became common in alt-right discourse. [377]
Risorse boldriniane Italy Maghrebi Arabs Literally "Boldrini's resources". Used for the first time in 2015 by Matteo Salvini, as a slur for North-African immigrants, who had been unironically called "resources" by Laura Boldrini. [584]
Rockspider, rock South Africa Afrikaners [585]
Rootless cosmopolitan
(Russian: безродный космополит) 		Russia Jews Soviet epithet, originated in the official parlance, as an accusation of lack of full allegiance to the Soviet Union. [586]
Rosuke, Roske Japanese Russians "suke/ske" is a Japanese general-purpose derogatory suffix. [587][588]
Rooinek South Africa British people Slang for a person of British descent. [589]
Roto Peru, Bolivia Chilean people Used to refer disdainfully. The term roto ("tattered") was first applied to Spanish conquerors in Chile, who were badly dressed and preferred military strength over intellect. [590]
Roundeye English-speaking Asians Non-Asians, especially White people [591]
Russki, ruski (Polish), Ryssä (Finnish) United States,
Europe 		Russians From the Russian word Русский Russkiy, meaning "Russian". [592][593]

S

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Safavid Iraq Feyli Kurds Mainly used by higher class Sunni Arabs during Ba'athist Iraq to insult Feyli Kurds for their belief in Shia Islam. [594]
Sambo United States African Americans or black people in general [595]
Sand nigger, Sandnigger United States Arabs or Muslims in general Mainly used against Muslims due to the desert environment of most Arab countries. Equivalent of dune coon (above). [596][597][198]
Sangokujin (三国人) Japan Korean and Taiwanese people Originally used to refer the various former colonial subjects of the Empire of Japan in the aftermath of World War II. [598]
Sarong Party Girl Singapore Asian women Used to ridicule Asian women who exclusively dates, marries, or socializes with White men for ulterior motives (especially for sexual, social status, and monetary purpose). [599][600][601]
Sassenach Scottish, Gaelic English people [602]
Savage England Indigenous people, non-Christians Used to describe a person or people considered primitive/uncivilized. Sometimes a legal term. Targets include indigenous tribes and civilizations in North America, South America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. US examples include 1776 Declaration of Independence ("merciless Indian Savages") and 1901 Supreme Court DeLima v. Bidwell ruling describing Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines as "savage tribes" [603][604][605][606]
Sawney England Scottish people Archaic term. Local variant of Sandy, short for "Alasdair". [607]
Scandihoovian Scandinavian people living in the United States Somewhat pejorative term for people of Scandinavian descent living in the United States, now often embraced by Scandinavian descendants. [608][609][610][611]
Seppo, Septic Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom American people Cockney rhyming slang (septic), Australian rhyming slang (seppo): Septic tank – Yank. [612]
Schluchtenscheißer Germany Austrian people Translates to somebody defecating in a cave (word-for-word translation: gorge shitter) and alludes to the mountainous landscape of Austria. [613]
Schvartse, Schwartze Yiddish or German speakers African people (in the United States)
Mizrahi Jews (in Israel) 		Literally translates to "black". [614]
Schwartze Khayeh Ashkenazi Jews Mizrahi Jews Literally translates to "black animal". [615]
Sheboon
For the river in Belize, see Sibun River.
 United States Black women [616]
Sheeny / Sheenie United States Jewish people A 19th-century term for an "untrustworthy Jew". [617]
Sheepshagger Australia,
United Kingdom 		New Zealanders (in Australia)
Welsh people (in the UK) 		[618][619]
Shelta Ireland Irish Travellers Derived from siúilta, which means "The Walkers" in Irish. [citation needed]
Shiksa (female), Sheigetz (male) Yiddish speakers Non-Jewish people From Yiddish שייגעץ (sheygets) from Hebrew שֶׁקֶץ (shékets), 'abomination'. [620][621]
Shina (支那) Japan Chinese people The Chinese term "Zhina" was orthographically borrowed from the Japanese "shina". Variant form of this term: Shinajin/Zhinaren (支那人) [622]
Zhina (支那) Taiwan, Hong Kong
Shine United States Black people Derived from shoeshiner, a lowly job many black people had to take. [623]
Shitskin / Shitlip North America, United Kingdom Muslims, Black people A racial and religious slur hurled at Muslims and other black people as well, for their extremely dark, "shit-colored" skin complexions [624]
Shiptar Former Yugoslavia Albanian people From misspelled Albanian endonym "Shqiptar". [625]
Shka i Velikës Gheg Albanians Montenegrins from Velika Derogatory terms for Montenegrins named after the place Velika in Montenegro. [228]
Shkije Gheg Albanians South Slavs, in particular Serbs, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Bosniaks Derived from the Latin word "Sclavus" or from the Venetian word "Schiavone", which means Slav. [626]
Shkinulkë Gheg Albanians South Slavs, in particular Serbs, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Bosniaks Same as Shkije but targeted towards women. [228]
Shkutor
Croatian: Škutor 		Croatia West-Herzegovinan Croatian people Primarily used to refer to ethnic Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to majority of Croats who are not natives of the modern-day Croatia (i.e. Croats of Hungary, Croats of Vojvodina etc.). [627][628]
Shoneen Ireland Irish People Irish Person who imitates English Customs. It means "Little John" in Irish language, referring to John Bull, a national personification of the British Empire in general and more specifically of England. [629][630]
Shylock / Shyster Jewish people perceived as greedy or usurious From the antagonistic character of Shylock, a Jewish money-lender, in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. [631]
Sí-a-la̍k (死阿陸) Taiwan Chinese people Literally means "damned mainlanders". the homophonic numerical form of this phrase(426) is also frequently used. [632]
Siamtue (Thai: เซียมตือ, Min Nan Chinese: 暹豬) Bangkoker (Thai Chinese) Central Thai people (usually include Mons) Literally Siamese pig; "low and vile like pigs, easy to fatten and slaughter, easy money"; mostly refers to Central Thais who migrated to Bangkok. [633][failed verification]
Sideways vagina/pussy/cooter Asian women, particularly Chinese women. [634]
Skinny United States Somali people A term most commonly used for Somali militia fighters. [635]
Skopianoi Greece Ethnic Macedonians Derived from Skopje, the capital city of North Macedonia. [636][637]
Skip, Skippy Australia An Australian, especially one of British descent Derived from the children's television series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. [638]
Skævøjet Denmark East Asian people Skævøjet, literally meaning "with crooked eyes", is a reference to their appearance. [639]
Slant, slant–eye East Asian people In reference to the appearance of the eyes. [640]
Slobo Finland Russians or Slavs From the Slavic word sloboda ("freedom") through some means, probably through some form of Russian слобода́ (slobodá). [641]
Slope, slopehead, slopy, slopey, sloper Australia, United Kingdom, and United States Asian people (especially Vietnamese in Australia; especially Chinese in America) Also slant, slant-eye. [642][643][644]
Snowflake United States White people Mostly used in this context in the 19th and 20th centuries. [645]
Smoked Irish/Smoked Irishman United States Black people A 19th-century term intended to insult both blacks and Irish but used primarily for black people. [571]
Somdeang (โสมแดง) Thailand North Koreans Literally "red ginseng" (see also Somkhao). [646][647][failed verification]
Somkhao (โสมขาว) Thailand South Koreans Literally "white ginseng" (see also Somdeang). [647][failed verification]
Soosmar-khor: (سوسمار خور) Persia Arabian people Persian for "lizard eater," referring to the eating of lizards in Arab cuisine. [648][649][650]
Sooty United States Black people Originated in the 1950s. [651]
Southern Faerie, Southern Fairy United Kingdom Southern English people Used in the North of England to refer to someone from the South, alluding to their supposed mollycoddled ways. (see also Northern Monkey.) [652]
Soutpiel South Africa White English speakers An Afrikaans term abbreviated as "Soutie" and translates as "Salt-penis," it derives from the Boer Wars where it was said that British soldiers had one foot in the United Kingdom, one foot in South Africa, and their penis dangled in the Atlantic Ocean (filled with saltwater). [653]
Spade Black people Recorded since 1928 (OED), from the playing cards suit. [654]
Spearchucker African Americans or people of African descent in general Derived from the idea that people of African descent were primitive. [655]
Spic, spick, spik, spig, or spigotty United States Hispanic people First recorded use in 1915. Believed to be a play on a Spanish-accented pronunciation of the English word speak. May apply to Spanish speakers in general and originally applied to Italians and Italian immigrants as well. [656][657][658][659][660]
Spook Black people Attested from the 1940s. [661][662]
Squarehead Nordic people, such as Scandinavians or Germans. Refers to either the stereotyped shape of their heads, or to the shape of the Stahlhelm M1916 steel helmet, or to its owner's stubbornness (like a block of wood). [663]
Squaw United States and Canada Native American women Derived from lower East Coast Algonquian (Massachusett: ussqua), which originally meant "young woman". [664][665]
Svartskalle Sweden People with dark hair or dark skin [666]
Svenne / svenne banan Sweden Swedish people A slang form of the word "svensk" which means swede in Swedish, and is mostly used negatively among non-Western immigrants when talking about or trying to offend ethnic Swedes. [667]
Swamp Guinea Italian people [668]
Szkop, skopčák Poland, Czech Republic German people The Polish term was particularly often used for Wehrmacht soldiers during World War II. [669]
Szmatogłowy Poland Middle Eastern people, Arabs Polish translation of "Raghead". [670]
Szwab Poland German people Derived from Swabia. See also: Fritz. [671]

T

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Taffy or Taff United Kingdom Welsh people Originating as a corruption of the name Dafydd (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈdavɨð]) Davy or David, and equivalent of other historic English pejoratives Paddy and Jock.

Known since at least the 17th century when life-sized effigies of Welshmen were symbolically lynched in London, and the 18th-century custom of baking "taffies", gingerbread figures made in the shape of a skewered Welshman.

[672][673][674][675]
Taig (also Teague, Teg and Teig) United Kingdom (primarily Northern Ireland) Irish nationalists Used by loyalists in Northern Ireland for members of the nationalist/Catholic/Gaelic community. Derived from the Irish name Tadhg, often mistransliterated as Timothy. [676][677]
Tai Ke Taiwan Taiwanese people of lower socio-economic status Literally means "Taiwan person". Now reclaimed. [678]
Tanka China Tanka people A name for a distinct ethnic group traditionally living in boats off the shore of South China. Originally descriptive ("Tan"/"Tang" is a Cantonese term for boat or junk and "ka" means family or peoples, Chinese: 蜑家; Cantonese Yale: Daahn gā / Dahng gā), the term Tanka is now considered derogatory and no longer in common use. The people concerned prefer to call themselves by other names, such as 'Nam Hoi Yan' (Chinese: 南海人; Cantonese Yale: Nàamhóiyàn; lit. 'People of The Southern Sea') or 'Sui Seung Yan' (Chinese: 水上人; pinyin: shuǐshàng rén; Cantonese Yale: Séuiseuhngyàn; lit. 'People Born on The Waters'), and other more polite terms. [679][680][681][682][683][684][685][686][687]
Tar-Baby United States Black children Also used to refer without regard to race to a situation from which it is difficult to extricate oneself. See tar baby. [688]
Tàu Vietnam Chinese people Variant form of "Tàu khựa" [689][387]
Teabag South Africa Black and Cape Coloured or Coloured individuals who have a light skin [388]
Teapot Black people Originates from the 19th century. [690][571]
Terrone Italy Southern Italian people [691][692]
Teuchter Southern Scotland Northern Scottish people Used to refer to somebody from the north of Scotland or rural Scottish areas. [693]
Thambi, thambiya (Sinhala: තම්බියා) Sri Lanka Muslims, especially Sri Lankan Moors From the Tamil word தம்பி (tambi) meaning "younger brother." The anglicization "Tamby" was used to refer to Moors in British Ceylon at the turn of the 20th century. [291]
Thicklips United Kingdom Black people [571]
Tibla Estonia Russian or Soviet people In widespread use by the Estonian War of Independence, this word was forbidden under the Soviet occupation of Estonia. It may be a shortened corruption of Vitebski, workers from the Vitebsk Governorate during World War I who were seen as dumb. It may also come from the Russian profane addressing "ty, blyad," "ты, блядь" ("you bitch", and the like [a]) or, truncated, "ty, blya," "ты, бля. [694][695]
Tiko Indonesia Native Indonesian people Tiko stands for Tikus kotor (Dirty rat). It may also derive from Hokkien 猪哥 (ti-ko), which means "brother of a pig", referring to their majority Muslim heritage. [696]
Timber nigger Native Americans Refers to the Native Americans on the East coast living in areas that were heavily forested. [697]
Timur Syrian people from Damascus Refers to the children born of the mass rapes that the Turco-Mongol Tatar soldiers of Timur committed against the Syrian women of Damascus in the Siege of Damascus (1400). [698]
Ting tong United Kingdom Chinese people or East Asians. [699]
Tinker / tynekere / tinkere / tynkere, -are / tynker / tenker / tinkar / tyncar / tinkard / tynkard / tincker Britain and Ireland Lower-class people An inconsequential person (typically lower-class) (note that in Britain, the term "Irish Tinker" may be used, giving it the same meaning as example as directly below). [citation needed]
Scotland and Ireland Romani people Origin unknown – possibly relating to one of the "traditional" occupations of Romanis as traveling "tinkerers" or repairers of common household objects. [700]
Scotland Native Scottish people A member of the native community; previously itinerant (but mainly now settled); who were reputed for their production of domestic implements from basic materials and for repair of the same items, being also known in the past as "travelling tinsmiths", possibly derived from a reputation for rowdy and alcoholic recreation. Often confused with Romani people. [citation needed]
Toad United States Black people Prison slang. [701]
Toku-A Japan Chinese and Korean people Literally means "specific Asia", A term used by netto-uyoku referring to the only specific part of Asia with strong Anti-Japanese sentiment in their countries (China and North/South Korea). [702]
Tonto United States Native Americans Native American character in the American television and radio programs The Lone Ranger. Spanish for "Idiot". [703][379]
Touch of the tar brush Commonwealth White people with suspected non-white ancestry Phrase for a person of predominantly European ancestry with real or suspected African or Asian distant ancestry. [when defined as?][704]
Towel head Turban wearers Often refers specifically to Sikhs, or Arabs and Muslims—based on the traditional keffiyeh headdress. However, in British English, the term is only used to refer to Arabs. Americans use the term 'rag-head' to apply to wearers of turbans as well, because the cloth that makes a turban could be described as a rag, but in British English the term towel-head solely refers to Arabs because the traditional, Middle Eastern keffiyeh, such as the red and white Saudi one or the black and white Palestinian keffiyeh worn by Yasser Arrafat, resemble the most common styles of British tea-towels – dishcloth in American – while Sikh turbans do not. [705][706][707][708]
Tumba-Yumba (Russian: тумба-юмба) Post-Soviet countries Africans and by extension any culture perceived as uncivilized From "Mumbo-Jumbo" (Russian: Мумбо-Юмбо). [709][710][711]
Tourk-alvanos (Greek: Τουρκαλβανοσ, "Turco-Albanian") Greece Muslim Albanians Ethnographic, religious, and derogatory term used by Greeks for Muslim Albanians. [712]
Turco Brazil, Chile Syrians, Palestinians, Lebanese, Jews, Armenians Meaning "Turk" in Portuguese and Spanish. The term originated in the late 19th century to refer those who came to Brazil, Argentina and Chile from the Ottoman Empire. Since Jews (both Sephardic and Ashkenazi) frequently occupied the same roles as peddlers as Syrians and Lebanese (who were the majority of those with Ottoman passports in Brazil), they were also called "turcos" in Brazil. Ironically, there was no relevant immigration of ethnic Turks to Brazil. [713][714][715]
Turčin, Poturčin Serbs Bosniaks In reference to the supposed ambiguity of Bosniaks and their ethnic origins; referring to their acceptance of the Muslim faith as them becoming "Turkified" or "Poturčin" [716]
Turk South Wales Llanelli residents The origin of this term is uncertain; some theories suggest it due to Llanelli's popularity with Turkish sailors in the late 19th to early 20th century or possibly when Turkish migrants heading for the United States stopped in Llanelli and decided to settle due to there being jobs available. However, most likely it's due to the fact that during World War One there was a trade embargo in place during Gallipoli, but Llanelli continued to trade tin with the Turkish; this led to people from neighbouring Swansea and other surrounding areas referring to them as Turks. [717]
Turkentrekker The Netherlands Turkish people A combination of the word "Turk" and "kurkentrekker" (corkscrew). [718]
Turko Sephardic Jews Ashkenazi Jews Ladino word meaning "Turk". The exact history of the term is uncertain, but possibly refers to the Khazar hypothesis of Ashkenazi ancestry. [719]
Twinkie:
Not to be confused with Twink (gay slang).
 United States European Americans, Asian Americans European Americans with few or no social or genealogical links to an indigenous tribe, who claims to be Native American, particularly a New Age practitioner purporting to be a spiritual leader, healer, or medicine man/woman (see also Plastic shaman). Also an Asian American who has become assimilated into mainstream American culture (See Banana, Coconut, and Twinkie).[42] [720][721][722]
Type C Malaysia Chinese people Type C was another name for USB-C before being used as a slur referring to Chinese people, its proclaimed meaning is 'Type Chinese'. [723][724]

U

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Ukro-Nazi, Ukronazi, Ukrofascist Russia Ukrainians Label used to link self-identifying Ukrainians during the Russo-Ukrainian War to Nazism, evoke Soviet victory in WWII, and justify Russian atrocities in Ukraine. Russian: укро-нацист, romanized: ukro-natsist,[725][726] укро-фашист, ukro-fashist. [727][728][729]
Ukrop Russians Ukrainians A disparaging term which means "dill" in Russian, itself derived from "Ukrainian" ↔ Ukrop. [730][398]
Uncle Tom United States Black people Refers to black people perceived as behaving in a subservient manner to white authority figures. In South Africa, the term "Uncle Tom" has been used as a derogatory slur against coloreds who were perceived as collaborating with the apartheid regime or being subservient to white people. In South Africa, the use of the term "Uncle Tom" by black people against coloureds or vice versa is considered racist and discriminatory according to the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act. [731][732]
Unta Indonesia Arab Indonesians Meaning "Camel". [733]
UPAina/ UPAińcy / UPAiniec, UPAinka Poland Ukrainians Portmanteau word Ukraine + UPA (Ukrayins'ka Povstans'ka Armiia) responsible for Volhynia genocide. [734][735]
Uppity Black people Refers to black people who are perceived as being insolent. [281][736]
Uzkoglazyj Russia Asian people, in particular East and Central Asians. Narrow-eyed [737]

V

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Vanja Finland Russian people Synonym of ryssä, referring to Russians or Slavs broadly. [738]
Veneco South America Venezuelans [739]
Vrindavan, Prindapan Indonesia Indian people Indonesian version of pajeet. Originated from Little Krishna animated series. [740]
Vuzvuz Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews Ashkenazi Jews Onomatopoeia of the Yiddish word for "What", which Judaeo-Spanish speaking Sephardi Jews and Judaeo-Arabic speaking Mizrahi Jews did not understand. [741]

W

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Wagon burner Native American people A reference to when Native American tribes would attack wagon trains during the wars in the eastern American frontier. [742]
Wasi'chu, Wasichu Lakota people, Dakota people Non-Native white people Word for a non-Native white person, meaning "the one who takes the best meat for himself". [743]
West Brit Ireland Irish people Directed at Irish people perceived as being insufficiently Irish or too Anglophilic. [744][745]
Wetback United States Undocumented immigrants (of mostly Hispanic descent) Refers to undocumented immigrants residing in the United States. Originally applied specifically to undocumented Mexican migrant workers who had crossed the United States border via the Rio Grande river to find work in the United States, the word's meaning has since broadened to any undocumented person who enters the United States via the southern border. [746]
White ape, White chimpanzee Britain, United States Irish people Irish people were often portrayed as apes in cartoon and newspaper illustrations and also in conversation, most notably by Charles Kingsley who referred to the Irish as "White chimpanzees" after his stay in County Sligo [747][748]
White ears Nauru White people [749]
White interloper White people Refers to a white person who becomes involved in a place or situation where they are not wanted or are considered not to belong. [750]
Wigger / Whigger / Wigga (meaning white nigger) United States Irish people Used in 19th-century United States to refer to the Irish. Sometimes used today in reference to white people in a manner similar to white trash or redneck. Also refers to white youth that imitate urban black youth by means of clothing style, mannerisms, and slang speech. Also used by radical Québécois in self-reference, as in the seminal 1968 book White Niggers of America. [751]
White nigger, Nigger wop United States Southern Italians From the 1800s, inferring such Italians were not "white" enough to be allowed citizenship. [752][753]
White trash United States Poor white people Common usage from the 1830s by black house slaves against white servants. [754]
Whitey White people [755]
Wog Commonwealth Dark-skinned foreigners Any swarthy or dark-skinned foreigner. Possibly derived from "golliwogg." In Western nations, it usually refers to dark-skinned people from Asia or Africa, though some use the term to refer to anyone outside the borders of their own country. [756]
Australia Southern Europeans, Mediterraneans Usually used to refer to Southern Europeans and Mediterraneans (Italians, Croatians, Greeks, Albanians, Maltese, Macedonians, Turks, Lebanese). It has become reappropriated by the cultures that it is commonly used to describe, but may be considered by some as controversial. [757]
Wop United States, Canada, United Kingdom Italian people Derived from the Italian dialectism, "guappo", close to "dude, swaggerer" and other informal appellations, a greeting among male Neapolitans. [758][759]

X

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Xiǎo Rìběn China Japanese people Literally translated, it means "little Japan". It is often used with "guizi" or ghost/devil, such as "xiao Riben guizi", or "little Japanese devil". [citation needed]
Xing Ling Brazil Chinese people Chinese products or low-quality products in general. Sometimes used to refer to Chinese people as well. Etymologically, this term is said to be derived from Mandarin 星零 xing ling ("zero stars"). [760]

Y

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Yam yam United Kingdom Black Country residents Term used by people from Birmingham. [761]
Yanacona Chile Mapuche people Term used by modern Mapuche as an insult for Mapuches considered to be subservient to non-indigenous Chileans, "sellout." Use of the word "yanacona" to describe people have led legal action in Chile. [762]
Yank Australia, United Kingdom Americans A contraction of "Yankee" below, first recorded in 1778 and employed internationally by speakers of British English in informal reference to all Americans generally. [763]
Yankee Dutch speakers Americans Possibly from Janke ("Johnny") or a dialectical variant of Jan Kaas ("John Cheese"). First applied by the Dutch colonists of New Amsterdam to Connecticuters and then to other residents of New England, "Yankee" remains in use in the American South in reference to Northerners, often in a mildly pejorative sense. Outside the US, especially in Spain and South America, used to describe all citizens of the US, regardless of which part of the US they come from. [763]
Yaposhka Russia Japanese people Derived from "yaponets" (Cyrillic: японец) [764][765]
Yellow Asian people An East or southeast Asian person, in reference to those who have a yellowish skin color. [766]
Mixed Ethnic people Anyone of mixed heritage, especially black or white people; a light-skinned black person, or a dark-skinned white person. [766]
Yellow bone / High yellow United States A light-skin black person

Equivalent of yellow (above).

[388]
Yid Jewish people Derived from its use as an endonym among Yiddish-speaking Jews. In the United Kingdom, "yid" is also used to refer to supporters of the Tottenham Hotspur football club, whose fans refer to themselves and players as "yids" (or the derivative form "yiddo"), regardless of whether or not they are Jewish, as part of a reclamation attempt centered around the club's significant historic Jewish following. The latter sense is common and well-established enough to be found under the word's Oxford English Dictionary entry, though its use has become controversial and a matter of debate in the 21st century, with opinions from both Jews and non-Jews, Tottenham fans and non-fans, running the gamut. [767][768]
Yuon Cambodia Vietnamese people The Khmer word "yuon" or "youn" (yuôn) យួន /juən/ comes from the Chinese 越, in modern times pronounced "Yue". The same character is the root of the "Viet" in "Vietnam". During the Khmer Rouge era, a folk etymology was pushed that placed the term yuon as being descended from the Sanskrit "Yavana", which initially referred to the Ionians but later referred to Greeks in general and later foreigners. The folk etymology was used to push the narrative that Khmer and Kinh people have always been enemies. [769][770][771][772]

Z

[edit]
Term Location or origin Targets Meaning, origin and notes References
Zanj, Zang, Zenj, Zinj, and Zang Persian and Arabic Black people Zanj Rebellion [773]
Zip, Zipperhead United States Asian people Used by American military personnel during the Korean War and Vietnam War. Also used in the films Apocalypse Now (1979), Platoon (1986), Full Metal Jacket (1987), Romeo Must Die (2000), Gran Torino (2008), and Premium Rush (2012). [774][775][776]
Zuca, Brazuca Portugal Brazilians Short for Brazuca, derived from "Brasil", used by Portuguese people to refer to Brazilians living in Portugal. [777][778]
Zhyd, zhid, zhydovka, zhidovka East Slavic language speakers Jewish people Originally neutral (as in other Slavic languages), but became pejorative as debate over the Jewish question and the antisemitism in the Russian Empire intensified in the end of the 19th century. While still in official use during the Ukrainian War of Independence and the short-lived Belarusian Democratic Republic, its use was banned by the Soviet authorities, which had previously been campaigning against its usage, in the 1930s. The usage of the word "żyd" in Polish depends on capitalisation and grammatical form: upper-case Żyd is neutral and denotes Jews in general or Jews as a nationality; the lower-case form (żyd, plural: żydzi) denotes a follower of Judaism; both are neutral. Related terms are considered offensive: alternative plural "żydy" or diminutive "żydek" (plural: żydki). [779][780]

See also

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References

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

List of ethnic slurs

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from Grokipedia
Ethnic slurs are expressions or terms that target individuals or groups based on their , , or associated cultural attributes, typically conveying derogatory stereotypes, historical grievances, or imputed inferiority. Such language functions as a linguistic tool for or , distinct from general insults by its explicit linkage to group identity, and has been analyzed in as encoding non-literal meanings that evoke beyond semantic content. Compilations of ethnic slurs document their prevalence across languages and eras, underscoring patterns of reciprocal ethnic hostility observable in human interactions, from ancient tribal conflicts to modern interpersonal and digital exchanges. These lists highlight how slurs often arise from wartime animosities, economic rivalries, or perceived cultural clashes, persisting despite formal prohibitions due to their utility in signaling in-group or venting . While some slurs evolve through phonetic distortion or , their core role remains tied to reinforcing boundaries between ethnic categories, with empirical studies showing varied perceptions of offensiveness based on speaker-target dynamics rather than uniform harm.

Foundational Concepts

Defining Ethnic Slurs

An ethnic slur constitutes a term or expression directed at or collectives predicated on their ethnic, racial, or national origins, functioning to demean or subordinate based on ascribed group identity rather than merits or actions. These terms typically encode or evoke associating the targeted group with inherent flaws, such as inferiority, depravity, or cultural backwardness, thereby reinforcing intergroup hierarchies through linguistic means. Linguistically, ethnic slurs operate as ethnophaulisms—concise disparagements derived from ethnic descriptors—distinguishing them from mere descriptive labels by their deliberate invocation of or exclusion. Unlike generic insults, which critique specific behaviors or traits (e.g., or attributable to personal choice), ethnic slurs target immutable or quasi-immutable attributes like ancestry or heritage, rendering the derogation and heritable in . This group-referential quality enables slurs to function as shortcuts for , presupposing shared prejudices without requiring explicit justification, and often persisting across contexts due to their emotive potency over descriptive accuracy. Scholarly examinations highlight that slurs' offensiveness arises not solely from semantic content but from pragmatic implicatures tied to speaker intent and societal power dynamics, where usage signals alignment with dominant in-groups against perceived out-groups. Empirical linguistic analysis reveals ethnic slurs as a subset of , engineered to inflict psychological harm via group-based stigmatization, with effects measurable in heightened intergroup bias and stereotype activation upon exposure. Their definitional boundaries remain contested in , particularly in delineating them from pejoratives or , yet consensus holds that core to ethnic slurs is their capacity to vilify en masse, independent of factual veracity, often amplifying historical grievances into contemporary verbal weaponry. This contrasts with non-ethnic insults, where hinges on verifiable individual failings rather than categorical ascription.

Linguistic and Etymological Characteristics

Ethnic slurs, termed ethnophaulisms by Abraham Roback in 1944, linguistically function as concise verbal markers of ethnic stereotypes, often relying on to foreground a single, salient trait—such as physical appearance, cultural practice, or perceived behavioral deficiency—for derogatory effect. This brevity enables rapid invocation of group-based prejudice, distinguishing slurs from longer descriptive insults by embedding both referential (descriptive) and expressive () content within a single term, which semantic analyses argue is conventionally encoded rather than merely implied. Unlike general , ethnic slurs specifically index out-group membership, pairing a neutral counterpart (e.g., an like "Italian") with derogatory valence that reinforces exclusionary hierarchies. Pragmatic theories further posit that slurs' offensiveness arises from their presupposition of shared negative attitudes toward the targeted ethnicity, amplifying impact in intergroup contexts. Phonologically, ethnic slurs exhibit patterns conducive to emotional intensity, frequently incorporating consonants (e.g., /k/, /p/, /t/) and back vowels that empirical studies link to perceived negativity and across languages. Corpus analyses reveal that words rhyming with established slurs receive lower valence ratings than non-rhyming synonyms, suggesting phonetic form contributes to their aversive independent of semantics, as harsh articulatory gestures mimic . This aligns with broader findings on , where cross-linguistic patterns favor sounds evoking disgust or force, enhancing slurs' utility in confrontational speech. Etymologically, ethnic slurs commonly arise from pejoration of neutral terms, transforming geographic demonyms, occupational labels, or observational descriptors into insults via historical association with conflict, migration, or colonial dominance. For example, many trace to 19th- and 20th-century imperial encounters, where terms denoting origin (e.g., adaptations of place names) acquired through or xenophobic during wars and labor influxes. Archival patterns show slurs often simplify complex identities into reductive, valence-laden monosyllables, reflecting cognitive shortcuts in stereotyping rather than literal accuracy, with valence correlating inversely to term length in datasets. This evolution underscores causal links to power asymmetries, where dominant groups repurpose linguistic borrowings or mishearings to demean subordinates, perpetuating via before lexicographic fixation.

Historical Development

Pre-Modern and Ancient Usage

In ancient Greece, circa the 5th century BCE, the term barbaros emerged to describe non-Greek-speaking peoples, deriving onomatopoeically from the perceived "bar-bar" babble of foreign languages, which Greeks contrasted with their own refined Hellenic tongue. Initially neutral as a linguistic marker, barbaros progressively connoted cultural inferiority, savagery, and irrationality, as evidenced in Herodotus's Histories (circa 440 BCE), where Persians and Scythians are depicted as emotionally volatile threats to Greek order. This usage reinforced Hellenic identity amid Persian Wars (499-449 BCE), framing outsiders as inherently prone to despotism and lacking nomos (law/custom). Parallel patterns appear in Vedic India, where mleccha (from circa 1500-500 BCE) signified foreigners or non-Vedic speakers whose garbled pronunciation of evoked impurity and barbarism, excluding them from ritual purity under varna systems. Texts like the (circa 200 BCE-200 CE) extended mleccha to denote moral and dietary defilement, justifying social segregation and portraying such groups—often Indo-Scythians or —as disruptors of . This term's phonetic basis mirrored Greek barbaros, prioritizing linguistic fidelity as a proxy for civilizational worth. In ancient China, records (circa 1046-256 BCE) classified non-HuaXia peoples as directional barbarians: (eastern), (western), (southern), and (northern), terms implying nomadic savagery, ritual ignorance, and territorial aggression against the central ritual state. The Hua-Yi distinction, formalized in texts like the (circa 4th century BCE), positioned these groups as chaotic foils to Confucian hierarchy, with empirical accounts of raids—such as Di incursions in 660 BCE—amplifying their depiction as existential threats requiring or subjugation. Roman adoption of barbari (from Greek roots, circa 1st century BCE) targeted Germanic and Celtic tribes during expansions, evoking images of undisciplined hordes, as in Tacitus's Germania (98 CE), which contrasted Teutonic ferocity with Roman disciplina. This rhetoric intensified post-376 CE with Hunnic and Vandal migrations, where ethnic labels justified defensive genocides, such as the Visigothic sack of Rome in 410 CE, underscoring slurs' role in causal narratives of imperial decline. Across these civilizations, such terms empirically correlated with intergroup conflicts, deriving derogation from observable differences in speech, governance, and warfare rather than abstract equality doctrines.

Colonial, Imperial, and 19th-Century Expansion

During the era of intensified European colonial and imperial expansion in the , ethnic slurs proliferated as tools to dehumanize indigenous and enslaved populations, rationalizing , resource extraction, and forced labor systems. Empires such as the British, French, and Dutch encountered diverse ethnic groups across , , and the , leading to the adaptation and invention of derogatory terms that emphasized perceived racial inferiority to justify hierarchical dominance. These slurs often drew from linguistic borrowings, physical , or religious disdain, embedding themselves in , administrative, and discourses; for instance, British imperial records from and document over 1.5 million indentured laborers shipped between 1834 and 1917, frequently labeled with slurs to normalize their exploitation post-slavery abolition. Such language facilitated causal mechanisms like reduced in , enabling events such as the 1857 Indian Rebellion, where British reprisals targeted "native" treachery framed through ethnic invective. In the , the term "coolie" originated from the Tamil word kuli (denoting hired labor) but evolved into a racial slur for Indian and Chinese indentured workers recruited after the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act to fill plantation shortages in the , , and ; by the 1860s, it connoted disposable, subhuman drudgery, with British colonial reports from noting its use to describe over 240,000 Indian migrants enduring high mortality rates from abuse and disease. Similarly, in , "kaffir"—from kāfir (unbeliever), introduced via Portuguese and Dutch traders in the 17th century—became entrenched during 19th-century Boer expansions and the (1879), where it denoted Black Africans as heathen savages unworthy of land rights; British military dispatches from the period, including during the 1899-1902 Boer War, applied it to justify concentration camps holding 28,000 Black civilians, half of whom perished. French imperial ventures in yielded slurs like bicot (from Kabyle abik or slang for ), used by troops during the 1830-1847 conquest of to mock Arab and Berber fighters, reducing complex resistance to caricatured ; Algerian campaign records cite its prevalence among French soldiers, correlating with massacres claiming 825,000 lives by official estimates. In British Sudan, "Fuzzy-Wuzzy" emerged during the (1881-1899), coined by expeditionary forces for the tribe's coiled hairstyles, as immortalized in Rudyard Kipling's 1890 poem praising their spear charges against machine guns at battles like (1898), where 11,000 Sudanese died; the term blended grudging respect with exoticist disdain, reflecting imperial narratives of civilizing "fuzzy" warriors. These slurs' spread via print media, soldier memoirs, and official gazettes—such as The Times reporting on "coolie" riots in Trinidad (1880s)—amplified their role in forging in-group solidarity among colonizers, empirically linked to sustained empire-building; data from the British Parliamentary Papers indicate slurs appeared in over 40% of colonial labor contracts reviewed between 1840 and 1900, underscoring their institutional embedding. French equivalents, including raton (raccoon) for Algerians in the 1840s, paralleled this by animalizing resistors during the conquest's pacification phase, which displaced 500,000 indigenous farmers. While some terms like "kaffir" carried pre-existing religious freight, their 19th-century weaponization prioritized ethnic utility over theological precision, evidencing causal adaptation to imperial exigencies rather than mere linguistic drift.

20th-Century Conflicts and Mass Media Influence

During , ethnic slurs proliferated among Allied forces to dehumanize enemies, with British and American troops commonly using "Hun" to derogate Germans, evoking barbarism akin to Attila's hordes, a term that gained traction through newspaper reports and military correspondence starting around 1914. In the U.S. military, ethnic minorities faced slurs from native-born s, exacerbating tensions in integrated units, as documented in soldier accounts from 1917-1918. intensified this pattern, with U.S. posters and films depicting Japanese as subhuman "Japs" or "yellow monkeys," terms that surged post-Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, to justify internment of over 120,000 . Similarly, slurs like "" for Germans and "Eyetalian" or "" for were embedded in Allied rhetoric, reinforced by government-issued materials that reached millions via print and early broadcasts. The (1950-1953) and (1955-1975) extended anti-Asian slurs into , where U.S. troops adopted "" — originating from Korean "miguk" (American) but repurposed as a blanket ethnic insult — to refer to locals, with usage peaking in Vietnam combat zones by the mid-1960s. Terms like "zipperhead," alluding to head wounds resembling zippers, emerged in these conflicts to demean North Vietnamese and Korean fighters, reflecting a causal link between prolonged and linguistic for psychological coping. These slurs, absent or marginal pre-war, were codified in and veteran memoirs, illustrating how existential threats in asymmetric conflicts accelerate slur invention and normalization within combat units. Mass media amplified these wartime slurs into civilian lexicon, with newspapers like Hearst's publications deploying "Jap" and "yellow peril" rhetoric against Japanese immigrants as early as the 1920s, escalating during WWII to stoke public support for exclusionary policies. Hollywood films, such as those produced under of War Information from 1942 onward, incorporated slurs into narratives portraying enemies as inherently treacherous, reaching audiences of tens of millions and embedding terms like "Nip" in popular culture. Radio broadcasts and newsreels further disseminated these epithets, creating feedback loops where media echoed military usage, perpetuating stereotypes beyond hostilities; for instance, post-Vietnam media coverage retained "gook" in reporting, influencing public perceptions into the 1970s despite academic critiques of such bias in outlets like and . This media-war nexus, driven by state propaganda needs, elevated transient battlefield insults to enduring ethnic markers, with empirical spikes in slur frequency correlating to circulation figures exceeding 100 million for major dailies during peak war years.

Psychological and Sociological Mechanisms

Evolutionary and In-Group Dynamics

From an evolutionary standpoint, ethnic slurs function as linguistic tools for out-group , which likely emerged as adaptive responses to intergroup in ancestral environments where small bands vied for scarce resources, , and mates. Such derogation helped solidify in-group cohesion by dehumanizing perceived , thereby motivating collective defense and reducing the risk of exploitation by outsiders; this pattern is modeled in simulations showing that in-group —often paired with out-group avoidance—evolves rapidly under conditions of local and external threats, as individuals who prioritize kin and allies outcompete those with indiscriminate . Empirical correlates include heightened neural activation in areas associated with threat detection when processing out-group cues, underscoring a biological basis for preferential treatment of in-group members over derogation of others. In-group dynamics further amplify this through slurs' role in signaling and enforcing norms, where their use among co-ethnics reinforces mutual trust and reciprocity by publicly affirming shared boundaries against infiltration or . For instance, verbal markers of exclusion historically deterred free-riding in tight-knit groups, as evidenced by experimental paradigms demonstrating stronger within arbitrarily defined teams when out-group disparagement is permitted, mirroring tribal warfare adaptations where male coalitions exhibit escalated toward rivals to protect reproductive access. This mechanism persists in modern contexts, with data revealing that regions under greater stress—evoking ancient disease-avoidance instincts—show elevated online searches for racial slurs, linking slur deployment to generalized responses that once protected against contaminated outsiders but now manifest as ethnic bias. While these dynamics promoted survival in high-stakes prehistoric settings, they can yield maladaptive outcomes in diverse societies, as unchecked in-group reinforcement via slurs correlates with reduced intergroup and escalated conflict; studies confirm that low endorsement of evolutionary accounts of predicts higher levels, implying that denial of such roots hinders mitigation efforts. Nonetheless, the causal primacy lies in kin-selection pressures favoring those who derogate non-kin, a trait amplified in zero-sum ecological niches rather than egalitarian ideals.

Expressive Function and Stereotype Reinforcement

Ethnic slurs serve an expressive function by conveying , , or disdain toward targeted groups in a manner that transcends mere description, often signaling the speaker's emotional commitment to negative group attitudes. This expressiveness arises from the slur's ability to encapsulate pejorative and evoke visceral reactions, distinguishing it from neutral descriptors or general insults. Empirical studies indicate that perceptions of slurs as primarily expressive—rather than descriptive—correlate directly with their rated offensiveness, as they imply an endorsement of derogatory views. For instance, experimental research has shown that racial slurs are interpreted as vehicles for negative , amplifying their impact in interpersonal contexts like usage between strangers versus friends. This expressive role facilitates stereotype reinforcement by priming and perpetuating cognitive associations with negative traits attributed to ethnic groups, thereby embedding biases in . When slurs are deployed, they activate latent automatically, serving as linguistic shortcuts that bypass reasoned evaluation and invoke discriminatory heuristics. Archival and experimental analyses reveal that ethnic slurs, or ethnophaulisms, consistently map onto recurrent negative descriptors of minority groups, such as or criminality, which align with prevalent and sustain intergroup inequality. Psychological experiments further demonstrate that even non-insulting contexts involving slurs can trigger activation, heightening bias accessibility without explicit intent. The reinforcement mechanism operates through repeated exposure and in-group signaling, where slurs normalize derogatory frames, making appear empirically grounded despite lacking causal evidence. In-group use of slurs, for example, can inadvertently validate out-group by associating the term with shared emotional valence, as observed in studies of reclaimed slurs that still evoke underlying negative connotations. This process contributes to broader societal impacts, including heightened and discriminatory behavior, as expressive slurs encode commitments to unequal social hierarchies that empirical data links to persistent ethnic disparities. Critics of certain academic interpretations note potential overemphasis on subjective offensiveness without sufficient controls for speaker intent or cultural variance, underscoring the need for causal realism in assessing reinforcement effects.

Empirical Impacts on Individuals and Societies

Exposure to ethnic slurs has been empirically linked to adverse psychological outcomes among targeted individuals, including heightened risks of anxiety and depression. In a study of 2,054 ethnic minority workers, experiencing racial insults was associated with an of 2.3 (95% CI: 1.4–3.6) for common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, with elevated risks among specific groups like (OR=32.9). A of 47 studies involving 40,535 participants found that directly experiencing online , which often includes ethnic slurs targeting racial minorities, correlated with poorer outcomes (Z = -0.37, p < .001), with stronger effects for Asian (Z = -0.47) and (Z = -0.44) groups. Similarly, in a 2023 of 3,998 Israeli adults, greater frequency of online exposure—frequently involving ethnic derogations—was associated with a 2.2-point increase in PTSD symptom scores per standard deviation increase (p < 0.0001), adjusted for confounders like emotion regulation difficulties. A and of 55 studies (1996–2021) further documented exposure to , encompassing ethnic slurs, yielding large experimental effects on depressive symptoms (d = 1.105, p < 0.01) and smaller correlational effects on reduced life satisfaction (d = -0.186, p < 0.01) and increased social (d = -0.206, p < 0.01). These impacts extend to PTSD-like symptoms such as , anxiety, and nightmares among victims. Bystanders overhearing ethnic slurs also exhibit biased evaluations of targets, with experimental evidence showing diminished perceptions of the target's competence and likability, potentially amplifying . At the societal level, ethnic slurs contribute to intergroup dynamics by eroding trust and reinforcing negative , with meta-analytic evidence indicating moderate experimental reductions in intergroup trust (d = -0.308, p < 0.05) and small increases in stereotype endorsement (d = 0.28, p < 0.10). Correlational data link exposure to heightened perpetration of hate (d = 0.36, p < 0.10) and moderate associations with offline (d = 0.47, p < 0.01), though no significant effects on aggregate hate crime rates were observed. Experimental bystander studies reveal that egalitarian observers may experience aversive responses to slurs, sometimes leading to non-intervention due to anticipated social costs, which perpetuates unchecked in group settings. While associations with and exist, reviews highlight limited causal evidence directly tying ethnic slurs to large-scale or societal beyond attitudinal shifts, emphasizing perceptual rather than inevitable real-world escalation.

Debates and Controversies

Context-Dependent Offensiveness and Double Standards

The perceived offensiveness of ethnic slurs varies significantly based on contextual factors, including the speaker's group membership relative to the target, the relational dynamics between speaker and audience, and the intent or tone of utterance. Empirical research indicates that slurs directed at out-group members are rated as more offensive than those used within in-groups, where they may signal solidarity rather than derogation. For instance, a 2015 study found that perceptions of slur offensiveness intensify when the slur targets a historically marginalized group from an out-group speaker, reflecting amplified sensitivity to perceived power imbalances. A prominent manifestation of this context-dependency is of reclamation, whereby targeted groups repurpose slurs for in-group communication, often stripping them of derogatory force while retaining them as markers of shared identity or resilience. The n-word exemplifies this: when used by individuals toward other individuals, it frequently conveys camaraderie or cultural affiliation rather than , as observed in linguistic analyses of . In contrast, the same term uttered by non- speakers, regardless of intent, triggers widespread condemnation due to associations with historical , highlighting how speaker identity overrides semantic content in offensiveness judgments. These asymmetries engender double standards in social and institutional responses to slur usage, where equivalent terms targeting majority or historically dominant groups elicit comparatively muted backlash. For example, slurs like "cracker" or "" directed at individuals by out-group members rarely provoke equivalent outrage or professional repercussions as do slurs against minorities, despite both functioning as ethnic derogations. This disparity persists in media and academic discourse, where analyses often emphasize historical victimhood for minority-targeted slurs while downplaying symmetric applications, potentially reflecting institutional preferences for narratives centered on power differentials rather than uniform linguistic harm. Psychological studies attribute such inconsistencies to and status-based perceptions, wherein slurs against lower-status groups are amplified as threats to social cohesion. Critics of these standards argue they foster , permitting in-group slur usage as cultural expression while prohibiting out-group equivalents under blanket prohibitions, which undermines consistent application of anti-discrimination principles. Data from public incidents, such as comedic routines or , reveal that backlash intensity correlates more with the speaker's demographic alignment than with the slur's literal impact, as evidenced by differential reactions to comedians reclaiming the n-word versus performers referencing it historically. This pattern suggests that offensiveness is not solely linguistic but socially constructed through group loyalties, with empirical surveys showing raters from targeted groups rating in-group uses as neutral or positive up to 40% more often than out-group uses. Such double standards, while rooted in evolutionary in-group dynamics, can perpetuate tribalistic divisions rather than equitable norms.

Reclamation Practices and In-Group Hypocrisy

Reclamation of ethnic slurs involves members of targeted groups repurposing derogatory terms originally used by out-groups to demean them, often transforming the words into markers of in-group solidarity, identity, or irony. This practice typically occurs within close-knit communities where the slur's historical baggage is acknowledged but reframed to subvert its oppressive intent, as seen in linguistic analyses of in-group speech acts. For instance, the N-word, historically wielded against people of African descent during slavery and segregation, has been reclaimed by some Black Americans since the mid-20th century, particularly in hip-hop culture from the 1980s onward, where it functions as a term of camaraderie rather than insult when used among peers. Similarly, terms like "cholo" among some Mexican-American communities in the southwestern United States have shifted from denoting low-class gang affiliation—a stereotype rooted in 1940s zoot suit riots—to a badge of cultural pride in Chicano art and music by the 1970s. Psychological research indicates that the perceived offensiveness of reclaimed slurs hinges heavily on the speaker's identity and , with in-group usage often eliciting neutral or positive responses while out-group attempts provoke outrage due to retained historical connotations of dominance. Experimental studies demonstrate this asymmetry: participants rate slurs as less harmful when uttered by in-group members, attributing the difference to reclaimed terms' role in fostering resilience and group cohesion, but revert to derogatory interpretations from outsiders, reflecting metapragmatic about authority over the word. This dynamic aligns with evolutionary , where self-labeling reclaims agency without erasing the slur's potential for harm in cross-group interactions. In-group hypocrisy emerges in the selective enforcement of reclamation norms, where targeted groups tolerate or celebrate intra-group usage but demand universal prohibition for out-groups, creating double standards that prioritize communal boundaries over consistent principles. For example, while Black communities have normalized the N-word in media and casual speech—evident in rap lyrics topping charts since N.W.A.'s 1988 album Straight Outta Compton—non-Black individuals face severe social and professional repercussions for uttering it, as in the 2018 cases of celebrities like Bill Maher and Roseanne Barr losing opportunities after isolated uses. This disparity extends to other slurs: South Asian Britons occasionally reclaim "Paki" in urban slang for ironic solidarity, yet condemn its use by white nationalists, illustrating how reclamation privileges in-group control without extending reciprocity. Critics, including opinion pieces in conservative outlets, argue this reflects broader societal hypocrisy, such as tolerance for anti-white epithets like "cracker" or "honky" in minority-led comedy while amplifying outrage over anti-minority terms, a pattern documented in public discourse analyses from 2010s social media trends. Empirical scrutiny reveals these practices' limits, as reclamation does not universally neutralize slurs' psychological impact; surveys show even in-group hearers experience elevated stress from reclaimed terms in mixed settings, suggesting incomplete semantic shift. Academic sources, often from left-leaning departments, frame reclamation as empowering without equally probing its exclusionary effects, potentially overlooking causal drivers like tribal signaling over equitable language reform. Consequently, debates persist on whether such undermines anti-slur , as evidenced by online controversies where in-group artists faced intra-community backlash for over-reclamation, highlighting tensions between and internal accountability.

Weaponization in Politics and Media Post-2020

Post-2020, ethnic slurs have been strategically deployed in political campaigns and media narratives to discredit adversaries, often amplifying divisions from events like the George Floyd protests and the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, speakers at Donald Trump's October 27 rally in Madison Square Garden used slurs such as referring to Puerto Ricans as "garbage" and making derogatory remarks about Black individuals, drawing widespread condemnation from outlets like ABC News and The New York Times for exemplifying divisive rhetoric. These incidents were framed as emblematic of broader racial animus within conservative circles, with media coverage emphasizing their potential to mobilize minority voters against Trump. Conversely, instances of slurs targeting whites or conservatives, such as "cracker" or "redneck," have faced minimal institutional backlash when uttered by left-leaning figures or in progressive media, revealing enforcement asymmetries. A 2021 Brennan Center for Justice analysis of Twitter (now X) moderation found that black-aligned tweets were rated as hate speech, including racial slurs, at higher rates than white-aligned ones, indicating algorithmic and human biases favoring certain political alignments over consistent standards. Mainstream media, which empirical studies attribute with systemic left-wing bias, often contextualizes or underreports such slurs from Democratic-aligned sources; for example, a Kansas Democratic candidate's 2020 use of the N-word in a social media post describing personal experiences with racism prompted Republican criticism but was defended by outlets highlighting omitted context, contrasting with zero-tolerance applied to analogous right-wing cases. The term "" evolved into a rhetorical weapon post-2020, applied loosely to smear political opponents beyond literal extremists, functioning as an ethnic-adjacent slur implying collective white culpability. During the 2020 election, critics accused Trump of failing to denounce unequivocally after his remark to "stand back and stand by" regarding the , with and others portraying it as tacit endorsement despite the group's disavowal of supremacist labels. This pattern persisted into 2024, where opposition to policies like DEI initiatives was equated with by , despite lacking evidence of ethnic hierarchy advocacy, enabling its use to pathologize dissent on issues like . Such broadening, amplified by left-biased academia and outlets, erodes precise discourse, as causal analysis shows it correlates with suppressed rather than empirical threat assessment—white supremacist incidents spiked in propaganda distribution (5,125 cases in 2020 per ADL data), yet broad labeling dilutes focus on verifiable actors. Internationally, similar dynamics emerged, as in where slurs like "" (for Indians) and "Cina" (for Chinese) were weaponized on for electoral gain, with platforms struggling to curb politicized hate. In the U.S., post-election 2024 texts with slurs targeting Black Americans (e.g., referencing ) prompted FBI probes, underscoring reactive enforcement, but parallel anti-white rhetoric in political chats—such as leaked ' slurs (though primarily outgoing)—highlights inconsistent scrutiny across ideologies. Overall, this era's weaponization prioritizes narrative control over uniform standards, with media's selective outrage fostering causal realism deficits by ignoring symmetric harms.

Catalog by Target Group

Targeting People of African Descent

The term nigger, derived from Latin niger ("black") via Spanish and negro and French nègre, evolved into a derogatory for in English by the late , particularly in the American context of where it connoted subhuman status and inferiority. Its usage intensified during the 19th and 20th centuries in literature, such as Mark Twain's (1884), and in everyday speech to enforce racial hierarchies under , often implying laziness, criminality, or intellectual deficiency. By the mid-20th century, it became a flashpoint in civil rights struggles, with empirical data from hate crime reports showing its persistent role in verbal assaults on . Coon, an abbreviation of "raccoon," originated as a slur in the post-Civil War around the 1880s, tied to the "coon caricature" in shows and "coon songs" that depicted black men as comical, idle thieves scavenging like the animal, reinforcing stereotypes of unreliability and primitiveness. This term gained traction in through and early films, such as those featuring actors in , and persisted into the as a shorthand for perceived racial or subservience among some black communities themselves. Historical postcards known as "coon cards," produced from the to 1930s, numbered in the thousands and commercialized these images for white audiences, evidencing widespread . Spook shifted from denoting a or specter (from Dutch spook via 19th-century ) to a racial slur for by the 1940s, allegedly popularized by German propaganda during referring to as "Spookwaffe" (a play on ), implying invisibility or sneakiness akin to stereotypes. Postwar usage in U.S. extended it to demean as elusive or untrustworthy, with records from 1945 documenting it in Southern contexts as "frightened ." Its offensiveness stems from evoking fear and otherness, though some mid-20th-century literary uses blurred lines with neutral spy connotations before solidifying as ethnic . Additional slurs include abeed, an Arabic term meaning "slave" dating to the (7th–19th centuries), applied derogatorily to people of African heritage in Middle Eastern and North African contexts to invoke historical enslavement and subservience. In Western usage, animalistic terms like comparisons to apes trace to 19th-century pseudoscientific , such as in colonial linking Africans to to justify exploitation, with documented instances from European explorers' accounts in the 1800s. These terms collectively reflect causal patterns of out-group , where linguistic facilitated systemic , as evidenced by their prevalence in segregation-era media and legal records from 1865–1965.

Targeting East Asians

Chink refers to people of Chinese descent or, more broadly, those with East Asian features, emerging as a slur in the United States during the late 19th century amid anti-Chinese immigrant sentiment following the of 1882. The term gained traction in the 1800s, linked to nativist movements seeking to expel Chinese laborers from industries like mining and railroads. It derives possibly from onomatopoeic imitation of Chinese speech or machinery sounds associated with Chinese workers, but its derogatory use solidified through labor competition and racial exclusion policies. Gook targets East and Southeast Asians, particularly and Vietnamese, originating among U.S. in the during interventions in Korea and . One traces it to American GIs mishearing Korean phrases like "miguk" (meaning American) or "Hanguk" (Korea), transforming neutral terms into dehumanizing labels during the starting in 1950. By the era (1955–1975), it broadly applied to Asian combatants and civilians, reflecting wartime that portrayed enemies as subhuman to justify casualties exceeding 58,000 U.S. deaths and millions of Asian losses. Jap, a truncation of "Japanese," transitioned from neutral abbreviation to ethnic slur during World War II, amplified by U.S. propaganda following the 1941 attack that killed 2,403 Americans. Postwar campaigns, such as Shosuke Sasaki's 1950s effort through the Japanese American Citizens League, sought to reclassify it as derogatory due to its association with of over 120,000 and atomic bombings of and in 1945, which caused 200,000+ deaths. Usage persisted in media until pressures from affected communities reduced it, though isolated revivals occur in political rhetoric. Nip, short for "Nippon" (Japan's native name), functions as a slur specifically against , gaining force in Anglo-American contexts during the early and intensifying in Allied propaganda. British forces notably favored it over "" in Pacific theater communications, embedding it in wartime slurs that dehumanized an enemy responsible for atrocities like the 1937 , where 200,000+ Chinese civilians perished. Its brevity aided quick deployment in , but postwar sensitivity has confined it largely to historical references. Slope denotes East Asians, especially Vietnamese, deriving from perceptions of "slanting" eye shapes due to epicanthic folds, with offensive variants like "slant-eye" documented in Western slang since the mid-20th century. Australian and British usage spiked during the (1960s–1970s), where over 500 Australian troops died, fostering resentment; a 2014 incident involved broadcaster uttering it on BBC's Top Gear, leading to censure for breaching standards on offensive language. The term reinforces stereotypes of physical difference, often in military or colonial narratives, without ties to specific phonetic origins. Ching chong mocks Chinese or through gibberish imitation, traceable to 19th-century U.S. children's rhymes and acts ridiculing non-English speakers during waves of Chinese immigration exceeding 300,000 by 1880. It perpetuates the trope of unintelligibility, ignoring tonal complexities of languages like Mandarin, and surged in usage during WWII anti-Japanese fervor, as evidenced in depicting Asians as babbling inferiors. Empirical studies link such vocal slurs to reinforced exclusion, with incidents like 2021 attacks on Asians correlating to heightened media mockery post-COVID origins debates.

Targeting South Asians

"Paki" originated as a shortening of "Pakistani" in the during the mid-20th century but evolved into a derogatory ethnic slur targeting not only but also other South Asians, including Indians and , amid waves of and associated racial tensions. Its usage peaked during the and , linked to "Paki-bashing" against South Asian communities, reflecting broader anti-immigrant sentiments rather than precise national targeting. The term persists in online and offline contexts, often evoking historical without regard for the targeted individual's actual ethnicity. "Dothead" emerged in the United States during the , derogatorily referencing the —a traditional forehead marking worn by many Hindu women and some men in South Asian cultures, particularly Indian. The slur gained notoriety through groups like the , a New Jersey-based gang in the mid- that explicitly targeted Indians with violence, using the term to mock cultural and religious practices. It reinforces as alien or inferior based on visible religious symbols, with documented assaults tied to its invocation during that era. "Curry muncher" functions as an ethnic slur stereotyping South Asians, especially Indians, by associating them with the consumption of curry—a staple dish in subcontinental cuisine—implying primitiveness or otherness through food habits. Predominantly used in Australia and the UK, it draws on colonial-era tropes that demeaned Indian dietary customs, embedding racialized contempt in everyday language. The phrase has appeared in harassment reports, including online gaming communities, where it accompanies broader anti-South Asian abuse. In recent years, "Pajeet" has proliferated as an internet-era slur primarily aimed at Indians, derived from a common Indian male name and amplified in extremist online spaces to South Asians as incompetent or fraudulent, particularly in tech and contexts. Data from monitoring groups indicate over 26,600 instances in Canadian online discourse between May 2023 and April 2025, often paired with conspiracy theories about and economic competition. This term exemplifies how digital platforms accelerate the spread of novel slurs, blending anonymity with targeted ethnic mockery.

Targeting Hispanics and Latinos

Spic is an ethnic slur primarily used in the United States to refer to and Latino individuals, originating during the construction of the around 1908 when North American laborers mocked Spanish-speakers' attempts at English as "spik d' English" or "no spik d' English," leading to variants like "spiggoty" and eventually "" or "spig" by 1913. By 1916, it appeared along the U.S.- border in references to men as "spicks." The term predates the widespread use of "" in the and has been documented in and media, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald's works, though its primary application targets Latinos rather than other groups like . Beaner emerged as a derogatory term specifically against Mexican-Americans, linked to stereotypes of bean consumption in Mexican cuisine, with first documented usage in the late 1960s or early 1970s in California according to regional English dictionaries. It gained traction in the American Southwest by the 1970s and appeared in films like Cheech & Chong's Next Movie in 1980, often implying foreignness or cultural inferiority. Incidents include its use in a 2008 hate crime murder in New York, where victim Marcelo Lucero was subjected to "beaner-hopping," and a 2018 Starbucks labeling error, amid a reported 176% rise in anti-Latino hate crimes in major U.S. cities following the 2016 election. Wetback, dating to circa 1924, derogatorily describes Mexican immigrants entering the U.S. illegally by wading or swimming across the River, resulting in wet clothing on their backs. The term gained notoriety during , a 1954 U.S. immigration enforcement campaign that deported over a million people, many of whom were legal residents or citizens. Greaser originated in the 19th-century U.S. Southwest as a slur against , possibly alluding to oiled or unwashed hair, manual labor involving grease, or misheard Spanish terms, and was commonly used by the in Anglo-Mexican conflicts. It persisted into the , supplanting earlier terms before being overtaken by others like "" post-World War II.

Targeting Arabs and Middle Easterners

"Raghead" is an ethnic slur directed at , , , and others perceived to wear turbans or similar head coverings, likening the attire to a rag on the head. The term emerged around 1910, rooted in British colonial-era mockery of turbans worn in and the . It gained renewed usage post-9/11 amid heightened anti-Arab sentiment in Western countries. "Towelhead" functions similarly as a derogatory reference to the keffiyeh or other traditional Arab headscarves, comparing them to a household towel. Employed against Arabs and Muslims, it underscores stereotypes of cultural attire as primitive or unclean. The slur has appeared in American media and public discourse, including protests against its use in film titles perceived to trivialize anti-Arab racism. "Sandnigger," a compound slur, targets individuals of Middle Eastern or North African descent by associating desert environments ("sand") with a historically anti-Black epithet, implying subhuman status akin to racial hierarchies in the U.S. Documented in American contexts since at least the 1970s, it reflects broader post-colonial and oil-era prejudices against Arab populations. "Camel jockey" mocks through the stereotype of camel herding or racing in the , reducing people to animal handlers. The term has been publicly defended by some commentators as descriptive of cultural practices but widely condemned as dehumanizing. It persists in anti-Arab , including recent incidents involving public officials. "Hajji," originally an honorific for Muslims who have completed the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, was repurposed by U.S. military personnel during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (2001–2021) as a generic, pejorative label for Arab or Iraqi civilians and insurgents. This shift dehumanized local populations, facilitating psychological distancing in combat zones, and extended to broader anti-Muslim usage. Reports from 2005 highlight its prevalence as "the new ethnic slur for Arabs and Muslims" in military slang.

Targeting Jews

The term kike emerged in the United States around the early as a derogatory slur specifically for , particularly Eastern European immigrants. One leading etymological theory posits its origin from the word kikel (circle), referring to the practice of illiterate arrivals at signing documents with circles rather than the traditional Christian "X" mark, a custom dated to approximately –1910. The records its earliest printed usage in 1903, in a context describing cheap goods associated with merchants. Alternative theories suggest derivations from the Hungarian kike (meaning "ox," implying stubbornness) or , but the circle-signing explanation predominates in scholarly accounts due to corroborative from officials. The slur gained traction in American urban by the 1920s, often tied to of involvement in garment trades or , and remains one of the most inflammatory antisemitic terms, comparable in offensiveness to other racial epithets. Sheeny, a 19th-century British and American slur for Jews, likely derives from Yiddish shayner Yid ("beautiful Jew") or the German schöner Jude, originally used mockingly by non-Jews to describe ostentatiously dressed Jewish peddlers in London's East End around the 1810s–1820s. It appeared in print by 1824 in British literature depicting Jewish street vendors, evolving into a broader ethnic insult evoking stereotypes of greed and flashiness. By the mid-19th century, it permeated Anglo-American vernacular, as evidenced in Punch magazine caricatures and U.S. theater, where it reinforced exclusionary attitudes amid rising Jewish immigration; its usage declined post-World War II but persists in historical analyses of Victorian antisemitism. Yid, short for the Yiddish (Jew), functions as an ethnic slur in English-speaking contexts, particularly in the UK, where it has been chanted by soccer hooligans against Hotspur supporters—many of whom are Jewish—since the 1970s, invoking violence and exclusion. Originating as a neutral self-identifier in -speaking communities from the , its pejorative shift occurred in interwar and post-1945 Britain, tied to football rivalries and broader ; UEFA fined clubs for its use as in matches as recently as 2013. In-group reclamation by some Jewish fans contrasts with its out-group weaponization, highlighting context-dependent offensiveness. Heeb or Hebe, an abbreviation of "Hebrew," serves as a casual yet derogatory American slang term for Jews, documented in urban dictionaries from the early and linked to stereotypes of Jewish or clannishness. It gained notoriety in mid-century media, such as 1940s pulp fiction and comedy routines, often paired with physical caricatures; while less virulent than , it perpetuates othering by reducing Jewish identity to archaic biblical references. Other slurs include Jewboy, a term belittling Jewish males, traced to 19th-century English usage implying immaturity or , with spikes in literature during . In , Zhyd (Polish/Ukrainian for Jew) carries connotations from medieval pogroms onward, amplified in 20th-century nationalist rhetoric. These terms collectively reflect patterns of , often amplified during economic crises like the Depression, when incidents in the U.S. rose 30% per FBI data from 1933–1939.

Targeting Europeans and Whites

"Cracker" is a term historically applied to of the American South, particularly poor rural residents, with documented usage as a racial implying crudeness or . Its origins are uncertain but may trace to 18th-century for a boaster or to the sound of whips cracked by slave overseers, evolving into a derogatory label by the among Americans. The term gained renewed attention during the 2013 George Zimmerman trial, where witness Rachel Jeantel used it to describe a racial directed at . "," also spelled "honkie," functions as an offensive term for , primarily in U.S. contexts, with first recorded pejorative use by militants in 1967. Etymological theories link it to "hunky," a late-19th-century slur for Hungarian or Eastern European immigrants perceived as low-class laborers by established , later repurposed against whites broadly. Usage persists in African-American vernacular to denote contempt for whiteness or systemic power. "Whitey" serves as a straightforward derogatory reference to white individuals or whites collectively, often employed by Black speakers to evoke resentment tied to historical . It appears in mid-20th-century literature and speech, such as in ' novels depicting interracial tensions, and carries variable intensity but consistently signals ethnic disdain. In non-Western contexts, "gweilo" (Cantonese: 鬼佬, literally "ghost man" or "foreign devil") targets white foreigners, especially in and southern , with roots in 19th-century during trade and colonial eras. Though sometimes neutralized in casual use, it retains force implying otherworldliness or inferiority, as evidenced in workplace discrimination claims where its invocation created hostile environments. "," derived from Persian "farangi" for or Europeans, denotes Western outsiders in South Asian languages like , originating from medieval encounters with and British traders, later weaponized during colonial rule to express subjugation or cultural alienation. It persists as an ethnic insult highlighting foreign exploitation.

Targeting Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples

Squaw refers to an Indigenous woman and originated as a borrowing from , where variants like eskwaw simply denoted "woman" without inherent negativity; English colonists in the 1620s adopted it neutrally but by the 19th century it acquired vulgar connotations equating Native women with or inferiority, as evidenced in and place names. This evolution reflects colonial rather than linguistic intent, with over 660 U.S. geographic features bearing the term as of , prompting federal efforts to rename them due to its offensive status among many Indigenous groups. , applied to Native Americans based on skin color, first appeared in a 1769 treaty negotiation where Piankashaw leaders used it self-referentially to distinguish themselves from "white skins," per linguist Ives Goddard's analysis of colonial records; it later connoted savagery in 19th-century U.S. policy and media, linking to scalp bounties where payments were made for "red skins" as proof of kills during conflicts like the Indian Wars (1775–1890). Despite early neutral or in-group usage, its association with violence rendered it a slur, as seen in the 2020 retirement of the Washington NFL team's name after protests citing historical trauma. Injun, a phonetic mockery of "Indian," emerged in 19th-century to deride Native identity, appearing in dime novels and that caricatured Indigenous people as primitive foes; it reinforced stereotypes of illiteracy and otherness, distinct from formal "Indian" in legal contexts like the of 1871. Buck denoted an adult Native male, deriving from colonial hunting terminology for male deer applied to warriors, as in 18th-century accounts portraying them as aggressive "bucks" in need of taming; this term, alongside squaw, framed Natives in animalistic terms to justify land dispossession under doctrines like (1845 onward). Savage portrayed Native peoples as uncivilized barbarians, rooted in European Enlightenment contrasts (e.g., John Locke's 1689 writings on American "savages" lacking property rights) and amplified in U.S. military rhetoric during the 1830s , where it dehumanized over 60,000 forcibly relocated , , and others, leading to 15,000 deaths. Less common but documented terms include red nigger, a compound slur blending anti-Black and anti-Native , used in Jim Crow-era South (post-1865) to equate Indigenous people with enslaved Africans as subhuman threats warranting extermination policies. These slurs persist in idioms like "off the reservation," originating from 19th-century confinement policies but critiqued today for implying deviation from imposed norms. Mainstream sources often amplify Indigenous objections without noting variant historical self-usage, potentially overlooking primary documents in favor of modern sensitivities.

Targeting Miscellaneous Groups

Ethnic slurs targeting miscellaneous groups typically refer to epithets directed at ethnic minorities that do not align with major continental or racial classifications, such as the Roma (a dispersed Indo-Aryan ethnic group in ) and (an indigenous ethnic minority in Ireland recognized as such since 2017). These terms often invoke stereotypes of nomadism, criminality, or manual labor, reflecting historical marginalization and exclusion from sedentary societies. Usage persists in informal speech and media, despite advocacy efforts to reclaim or retire them, with incidents like public apologies highlighting ongoing offensiveness. Gypsy (and variants like gyppo or gippo) targets Roma people, originating from a mistaken medieval European belief in their Egyptian origins, but now widely viewed as derogatory for reinforcing tropes of itinerancy, deceit, and . organizations and scholars urge non-Roma to avoid it, equating it to other racial slurs that essentialize group traits. The U.S. State Department lists its slur usage in definitions of anti-Roma , and in 2023, media discussions emphasized its pejorative force when wielded by outsiders. Tinker applies to Irish and Scottish Travellers, deriving from their historical role in mending tin pots and utensils as itinerant tradespeople, but evolved into a slur implying unreliability, , and anti-social behavior. Scottish Traveller activists in called for societal reevaluation of such language, noting its role in perpetuating exclusion. The term's derogatory shift mirrors broader patterns where occupational labels become ethnic markers of inferiority. Knacker derogates , stemming from associations with horse slaughtering or scrap metal dealing, evoking images of filth and disposability. In June 2023, Irish singer faced backlash and issued an apology after employing it in a Canadian , with community representatives labeling it "deeply offensive" and rooted in rather than mere . Critics noted its casual invocation underscores systemic against Travellers, who comprise about 0.7% of 's population but endure disproportionate . In , țigan (and cognates) serves as a slur against Roma, even when misapplied to non-Roma individuals, drawing on lexical associations with and moral failing; linguistic analyses trace its derogatory semantics to rich historical lexicons embedding ethnic . These examples illustrate how slurs for miscellaneous groups often blend occupational, migratory, and cultural , sustaining causal cycles of social without reliance on skin color or broad racial binaries.

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