A pejorative (also called a derogatory term,[1] a slur, a term of disparagement) is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative connotation or a low opinion of someone or something, showing a lack of respect for someone or something.[2] It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a term is regarded as pejorative in some social or ethnic groups but not in others, or may be originally pejorative and eventually be adopted in a non-pejorative sense (or vice versa) in some or all contexts.
Name slurs can also involve an insulting or disparaging innuendo,[3] rather than being a direct pejorative. In some cases, a person's name can be redefined with an unpleasant or insulting meaning, or be applied to a group of people considered by anyone to be inferior or lower in social class, as a group label with a disparaging meaning.
Definition and etymology
The word pejorative is derived from a Late Latin past participle stem of peiorare, meaning "to make worse", from peior "worse".[4]
Melioration
When a term begins as pejorative and eventually is adopted in a non-pejorative sense, this is called "melioration" in historical linguistics. It may also be called amelioration, reclaiming,[5] or semantic change.[6] Some examples of melioration are "punk", "dude" and "nerd".
See also
References
- ^ "Definition of derogatory". Merriam Webster. Retrieved 2015.
- ^ "Pejorative | Define Pejorative at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved .
- ^ "Slur - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary". Merriam-webster.com. Retrieved .
- ^ "Pejorative (adj.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 2016.
- ^ Brontsema, Robin (2004-06-01). "A Queer Revolution: Reconceptualizing the Debate Over Linguistic Reclamation". Colorado Research in Linguistics. 17 (1). doi:10.25810/dky3-zq57. ISSN 1937-7029.
Linguistic reclamation, also known as linguistic resignification or reappropriation, refers to the appropriation of a pejorative epithet by its target(s).
- ^ Croom, Adam M. (May 2011). "Slurs". Language Sciences. 33 (3): 343-358. doi:10.1016/j.langsci.2010.11.005.[dead link]
Further reading
- Croom, Adam M. (May 2011). "Slurs". Language Sciences. 33 (3). Elsevier. pp. 343-358.
- Croom, Adam M. (2014). "Remarks on 'The Semantics of Racial Slurs'". Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations. 13 (1). pp. 11-32.
- Croom, Adam M. (January 2014). "The Semantics of Slurs: A Refutation of Pure Expressivism". Language Sciences. 41, Part B. pp. 227-242.
- Henderson, Anita (Spring 2003). "What's in a Slur?". American Speech. 78 (1). Project MUSE. pp. 52-74.
External links
Media related to Pejoratives at Wikimedia Commons- "Pejorative Language". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
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