Mal
5 Apr 2014
Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]
Murzyn is not really a racist word. Unfortunately it's being translated as "nigger" way too often and it shouldn't be since the word moor is much more accurate.
Word Murzyn originally came from word (Mohr, Mauri and Moor) used to describe wide range of northern Africa inhabitants, medieval Muslims of many different skin colours.
Not to go into details if you do not consider word moor offensive in English you shouldn't be offended by it in polish.
Since Poland didn't have the skin colour based slavery but rather good old fashion noble lords and peasants model and foreigners until like 20 years ago had been a rarity it should be understandable that in general words associated with skin colour do not bear any real historical burden.
There is a simple test to how can you determinate if a word is an abusive one. Imagine your very angry at someone black, you snapped and wanted to be hurtful - would Murzny really be the word you chose to offend that person ?
Since it got me thinking how does an actual black polish person see all of this I spoke with my friend that is around my age (30) his father came from Africa his mother is polish. Said he never really had problem with being called Murzyn but he didn't like the word Murzynek also said Czarnuch didn't really bothered him although he didn't like it. He said that polish people often are more reckless and unaware then racist.
To be honest times are changing and reckless translations of some words primary by polish people themselves can result in word Murzyn being derogatory in future. Stupidity like brownie - murzynek being translated as nigger cake (I actually heard that one coming from an idiot who wanted to shock his foreigner friends) that spreads false meaning of word and draws bad image of society, after a while naturally becomes hurtful and derogatory.
Murzyn is not really a racist word. Unfortunately it's being translated as "nigger" way too often and it shouldn't be since the word moor is much more accurate.
Word Murzyn originally came from word (Mohr, Mauri and Moor) used to describe wide range of northern Africa inhabitants, medieval Muslims of many different skin colours.
Not to go into details if you do not consider word moor offensive in English you shouldn't be offended by it in polish.
Since Poland didn't have the skin colour based slavery but rather good old fashion noble lords and peasants model and foreigners until like 20 years ago had been a rarity it should be understandable that in general words associated with skin colour do not bear any real historical burden.
There is a simple test to how can you determinate if a word is an abusive one. Imagine your very angry at someone black, you snapped and wanted to be hurtful - would Murzny really be the word you chose to offend that person ?
Since it got me thinking how does an actual black polish person see all of this I spoke with my friend that is around my age (30) his father came from Africa his mother is polish. Said he never really had problem with being called Murzyn but he didn't like the word Murzynek also said Czarnuch didn't really bothered him although he didn't like it. He said that polish people often are more reckless and unaware then racist.
To be honest times are changing and reckless translations of some words primary by polish people themselves can result in word Murzyn being derogatory in future. Stupidity like brownie - murzynek being translated as nigger cake (I actually heard that one coming from an idiot who wanted to shock his foreigner friends) that spreads false meaning of word and draws bad image of society, after a while naturally becomes hurtful and derogatory.