Pejorative

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A pejorative (also term of abuse or term of disparagement), as a noun, means a word or phrase that implies disapproval or contempt and is meant to be insulting, impolite, or unkind: "A belittling or disparaging word or expression." When used as an adjective, pejorative is synonymous with derogatory, derisive, dyslogistic, and contemptuous. Standards of politeness limit the use of pejoratives.

Pejoratives are distinct from profanity, which refers to language that is considered rude; Pejoratives refer more to disapproval and not necessarily rudeness.

Sometimes a term may begin as a pejorative word and eventually be adopted in a non-pejorative sense. Big Bang, Quaker, Yankee, Okie, Tory and Whig, Ham radio, Christian, Methodist, Shaker, Unitarian, Sooner, and Liberal were originally slang insults but came to be used as non-pejorative standard words. In historical linguistics, this phenomenon is known as melioration, or amelioration, or semantic change. Sometimes a term is still considered as a pejorative word by some but not by others. In other cases, some groups have attempted to "reclaim" formerly offensive words applied against them (reclaimed word).

Ethnic slurs are one kind of category of pejorative. Such terms as pagan,^[1][2][3] nigger,^[4] nigga, spic, kike, redneck, cracker, spade, white trash, redskin, dyke, queer, fairy, faggot, tranny, douche bag, geek, nerd, retard, mamak, paki, chav, ginger, gook, cretin and cripple are widely considered pejorative.^[5][6]

[edit] See also

• Bully
• Dysphemism
• Euphemism treadmill
• Historical linguistics
• Hypocoristic, a pet name (antonym)
• List of ethnic slurs
• Pejorative suffix
• Taunt
• Lists of disparaging terms for people
• Ethnic slur
• Hate speech
• Taboo

[edit] References