Buzz
Names carry great significance, yet many well-known names have sparked debates regarding their origins. These disputes may arise from issues like racism, politics, or simply due to the scarcity of reliable information about word histories. Below are group names that tend to stir up strong feelings at social gatherings.
10 Korea or Corea?
The term “Korea” originated from the Koryo dynasty, which was known as “Gaoli” in Chinese and “Korai” in Japanese. The first Western mention of the country came from the 13th-century Franciscan friar William of Rubruck, who referred to it as “Caule.” Over time, various forms of the name were used in the West, with “Corea” appearing in the 16th century and “Korea” in the 18th. By the 20th century, “Korea” had become the standard in English, while some Romance languages continued to use variations of “Corea.” However, some argue that the adoption of the English spelling was the result of a secretive Japanese influence.
The theory posits that old English maps from the 19th century once spelled the nation's name as 'Corea,' which was later changed to 'Korea' by the imperial Japanese to ensure Japan would come first in English-language dictionaries. Chung Yong Wook, a historian at Seoul National University, suggests that Japan pushed this alteration ahead of the 1908 Olympics, so Japanese athletes would be listed first. The only concrete proof he offers is a 1912 memoir from a Japanese official criticizing rebellious Koreans who spelled their country with a 'C,' although he believes there may be more evidence hidden in archives. Supporters of this theory argue that 'Korea' with a 'K' only appears in English-speaking countries, though this would be a surprise to those with an atlas in Berlin or Helsinki.
In 2003, scholars from both North and South Korea gathered in Seoul to advocate for a national name change. Historically, the North has been more dedicated to this cause, with North Korean news agency KCNA calling the use of 'Korea' in English 'an unforgivable, state-sponsored crime.' This movement reached the political arena when 22 lawmakers proposed a bill to rename the country to the Republic of Corea, but it ultimately failed. Supporters of the 'Corea' spelling highlight other non-European countries where a 'C' is used, such as Congo, Cambodia, and Comanche. They argue that using a 'K' spelling implies a lack of sophistication, as seen with terms like 'skool' or 'kitty kat.'
9 Inuit Or Eskimo
The term 'Eskimo' is widely considered offensive when referring to Inuit people, particularly in Canada and Greenland. This label has historically been used as a derogatory slur against Inuit and Inuk communities. Despite years of political correctness education, negative attitudes surrounding the term still impact individuals such as Canadian soldier Corporal Esther Wolki, who nearly took her own life after being told by superiors to 'Just quit and go back home and be a drunk like the rest of the Eskimos.' However, the issue is more complex in other regions, where the term may not hold the same negative connotation.
In Alaska, the term 'Eskimo' is commonly used because it encompasses both Inuit and Yupik groups. The Yupik are a closely related non-Inuit community with a similar culture, yet they don’t have the word 'Inuit' in their own languages. Although Yupik and Inuit share certain grammatical structures, their vocabularies differ greatly, and the two languages are largely mutually unintelligible. Interestingly, the Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska includes the Yupik under its umbrella, yet refers to both groups as 'Inuit.'
One of the reasons for the rejection of the term 'Eskimo' is the belief that it derives from the Cree word 'askamiciw,' which means 'eater of raw meat'—a term historically used by the Cree as a racial slur against their northern neighbors. However, etymologists suggest this may be a folk theory based solely on a linguistic coincidence. Some believe that 'Eskimo' may have originated from a word meaning 'he ties snowshoes.' Critics of this theory point out that the Cree also used snowshoes, and humorously, some argue that Americans referring to the French as 'cheese-eating surrender monkeys' didn’t stop them from consuming cheeseburgers and nachos.
There's an old theory suggesting that Jesuit missionaries coined the term 'Eskimo,' using it to describe pagan Inuits as 'the excommunicated ones'—which is also far from complimentary. Regardless of the etymological debate, it’s generally best to avoid using the term 'Eskimo' in Canada or Greenland. In Greenland, people prefer to be called Greenlanders or Kalaallit. In Alaska, the term is more acceptable, but it’s always a good idea to clarify if the person you’re speaking to is Inuit or Yupik from the outset. You could also just ask their name first to avoid sounding awkward.
8 Slav
The peoples of Eurasia who speak Slavic languages, including Russians, Poles, Ukrainians, Serbs, Czechs, Slovaks, and many more, are collectively known as Slavs due to their shared linguistic heritage. However, there is some confusion about the origin of the term 'Slav' and its connection to the English word 'slave.'
One theory suggests that 'Slav' comes from the word slovo, meaning 'word,' as the ancient Slavs differentiated between those who spoke a language they understood and those who did not. This theory is supported by the fact that in many Slavic languages, the term for 'German' comes from the Old Slavic word nemec, which means 'mute.' Another theory posits that 'Slav' derives from slava, meaning 'glory,' which is especially appealing to Russian nationalists and Polish humanists. Evidence for this includes the common occurrence of Slavic kings’ names ending in '-slaus,' though this may seem somewhat contrived.
A third theory is that the name 'Slav' originates from the Latin word sclavus, meaning 'slave,' which itself comes from the Greek word sklavos. However, this theory seems backwards. The Romans used the term servus for slaves, while the Greeks referred to them as doulos. The word Sklavini first appeared in sixth-century Byzantine texts to describe Slavic groups migrating into Eastern Roman lands. It is believed that the Greeks borrowed this term from the Slavs, not the other way around. When the Byzantines captured Slavs in battle and sold them into the Mediterranean slave trade, sklavos came to mean 'slave,' though it originally referred to the ethnic groups themselves. This word eventually led to the Latin sclavus, the Old French esclave, and ultimately the English word 'slave.'
B. Philip Lozinski, a scholar, proposed in 1964 that the root word 'slav-' means 'worshiper,' suggesting that the early Slavs shared religious unity. Regardless of the true origin, Slavic people faced etymological challenges in the 19th century during their immigration to the United States. Until the 1920s, Slovak-Americans were referred to by a variety of terms, including 'Slovac,' 'Slavack,' 'Slovish,' and 'Slavish.'
7 Bulgar
The true origin of the word 'Bulgar,' which later gave rise to 'Bulgaria,' remains a mystery, despite numerous attempts to uncover it. The 12th-century Granadian traveler al-Gharnati suggested that 'Bulgar' came from balar, meaning 'a scholar,' but he was likely mistaken. A popular theory from the early modern period proposed that it stemmed from the Turkic word bulgha, meaning 'to mix,' supposedly referring to the ethnic diversity of the early Bulgars. This idea is now seen as derogatory, with some arguing that bulgha meant 'mixing,' not 'mixed.'
Another theory suggests that 'Bulgar' comes from the name of the Volga River, which is linked to Turkic and Slavic words for moisture. However, since the Bulgars were mentioned long before literate civilization reached the Volga basin, this theory seems improbable. A different theory connects the term to bel plus gar, which would mean 'five tribes.' Yet another theory holds that 'Bulgar' originates from burgaroi, a term for mercenaries stationed on the Roman border.
Some researchers have proposed a connection between the Bulgars and a Turkish tribe from northern China known as the Buluoji. This idea is supported by an early Arab reference to the Bulgars using Chinese script, as well as the traditional Bulgar calendar, which follows an animal cycle similar to that of the Chinese. However, this creates a 'chicken-and-egg' dilemma regarding the origin of the name. It’s not surprising that the Bulgars might feel sensitive about the origins of their name, especially given the negative associations it has acquired over time. For instance, the English term 'bugger,' meaning 'to sodomize,' derives from Bulgarian, referring to the Bogomil heretics who were accused of sodomy. In the early 20th century, 'Bulgarian' was also used as a euphemism for gay men and lesbians in New York theater. In the 1990s, efforts to reclaim the term within queer social circles sparked heated debates with outraged Bulgarian nationalists.
6 Hispanic or Latino/a
The terms 'Hispanic' and 'Latino/a' are frequently used as synonyms, though they don’t carry identical meanings. 'Latino/a' is a shortened form of 'Latinoamericano,' referring to people with origins in areas of the Americas once colonized by Latin-speaking individuals. This can include Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking regions of Central and South America, and potentially even Quebec. In contrast, 'Hispanic' specifically refers to things related to Spain, originating from the Latin name for the Iberian Peninsula, which itself derives from an even older Phoenician word meaning 'land of rabbits.' The term rose to prominence during the Nixon administration, largely thanks to the efforts of bureaucrat Grace Flores-Hughes, and was later officially included in the US Census.
Some people reject the term, arguing that 'Latino' and 'Latina' sound more natural in Spanish, while 'Hispanic' excludes those with Native American or African roots. Others believe that advocating for the use of 'Latino/a' is a political stance that not everyone is willing to take. Some individuals have opted for even more specific labels like 'Mexican-American,' 'Cuban-American,' or 'Chicano/a,' which refers to people of Mexican descent and comes from the Nahuatl word Xicana, a shortened form of Mexicana (pronounced meh-chi-ka-na). A significant number of people simply don't have a preference: In fact, while 'Hispanic' is favored over 'Latino' by a 2-to-1 margin (and 4-to-1 in Texas), up to 50% of Lathispanicanos report no strong preference for either term.
5 Yankee
To a European, a Yankee represents an American. To an American, a Yankee is someone from New England. To someone from New England, a Yankee is a Vermonter. To a Vermonter, a Yankee is someone who starts their day with apple pie. And to a Vermonter who starts their day with apple pie a Yankee is someone who enjoys it with a knife.
As seen in the quote above, the true meaning of 'Yankee' is ambiguous. It was used to refer to the Union forces during the American Civil War, and was also used by foreigners to describe all Americans. The origins of the term itself remain unclear.
Daniel Webster, renowned for his dictionary work, took a stab at it in 1810, suggesting that the word came from the Persian term janghe, meaning 'a warlike man' or 'a swift horse.' By 1828, he had changed his theory, claiming it originated from Yengeese, a Native American way of pronouncing 'English.' A widely discussed theory posits that the word stems from Dutch, a blend of the name 'Jan' (a common first name) and kees (meaning 'cheese'). Although this idea is well-known, it leaves more questions than answers. The US Navy suggests the term could come from Dutch merchants referring to American sea captains as yankers, meaning 'wrangler.' Other possibilities include a French distortion of 'Anglais,' a Scottish term 'yank' (meaning a hard blow), or a British adaptation of the Cherokee word eankke, meaning 'slave' or 'coward.'
While none of these theories can be definitively proven, there is some evidence pointing to a possible Native American origin for the term. The Lenni-Lenape people used the term Yankwis to refer to the English, but more commonly used the variation Yankwako, which translates to 'English snake.' Other sources suggest that the Lenni-Lenape specifically used this term for people from New England, while they referred to the English as Saggenash and Virginians ominously as 'long knives.'
4 Squaw
The term 'squaw' is widely regarded as offensive when used to refer to Native American women. The issue likely stems from white Americans’ tendency to use the word in a negative context, often equating it with terms like 'mistress' or 'prostitute.' Additionally, it has been used in derogatory portrayals of Native Americans in films and television, where characters would speak in broken English. (While it's likely that historical Native Americans who spoke English as a second language would have spoken it imperfectly, they wouldn't have all sounded the same or used words like 'papoose' and 'heap big.')
The 1973 book Literature of a Native America claimed that 'squaw' was a term invented by non-Natives, possibly a French corruption of the Iroquois word otsiskwa, which referred to a woman's sexual organs. However, both linguists and speakers of Algonquian languages disagree with this claim. The word actually comes from a Narragansett word that simply meant 'woman,' and variations of the term are found in most Algonquian languages.
The first written usage of the term appeared in the 1622 book Mourt’s Relation: A Journey of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, where it was not used in a derogatory way. Over time, however, the word began to take on a negative connotation, especially from the late 19th century onward, peaking in the 1970s. One complication in understanding its history is that while 'squaw' may not have always been an ethnic slur, it certainly has been used as one since at least the early 20th century. The fact that it wasn't initially a slur doesn’t erase its current usage as one, and history doesn’t give others the right to use it freely while defending themselves with linguistic explanations. On the flip side, some speakers of Algonquian languages feel frustrated that their word has been tainted by racism and misused in a negative light, despite its neutral origins. Ultimately, it's probably best to avoid the term unless you're speaking directly in an Algonquian language.
3. Woman
With the rise of feminist movements in the 20th century, a backlash emerged against the gendered implications of the word 'woman.' The fact that 'man' is used to refer to both humanity as a whole and to individual male humans has sparked dissatisfaction, leading to changes in terms like 'chairman' and 'policeman' and the creation of the alternative spelling 'womyn' for women. However, from an etymological perspective, it is the use of 'man' to exclusively mean a male that is the true linguistic corruption.
In Old English, 'man' originally referred to humans in general, without any gender distinction, a usage that still persists in German. The term for women was 'wyfman,' while 'were' referred to men, with the plural form 'waepman.' Over time, 'wyfman' evolved into 'woman,' and 'wyf' began to refer to a married woman in the 12th century. By the 16th century, 'wyf' also meant 'female marketeer' or 'saleswoman.' However, the simpler meaning of 'adult female human' was lost, while the words 'were' and 'waepman' had vanished by the 13th century. By the early modern period, people had forgotten these linguistic roots and started joking that 'woman' came from 'woe man' or 'wee men.'
In 1534, Sir Thomas More wrote: 'Man himselfe borne of a woman, is in deede a wo man, that is, ful of wo and miserie.' Additionally, a 1653 quote from Richard Flecknoe, which appears in the Oxford English Dictionary, reads: 'Say of Woman worst ye can, What prolongs their woe, but man?' Though these quotes are amusing, they are simply folk etymologies at best.
Interestingly, the perceived connection between 'female' and 'male' is also a misconception, as the two words have separate origins. 'Female' came from the Old French femelle, which was derived from the Latin femina (meaning 'woman'). Meanwhile, 'male' came from the Old French masle and Latin masculus (meaning 'little man'). The shift from Middle English femelle to our modern 'female' occurred in the 14th century, reinforcing a perception of an asymmetrical relationship between the words. Despite their etymological origins, some argue that the fact remains: 'man' has been used predominantly to refer to males for the past seven centuries, and thus the call for gender-neutral pronouns remains valid.
2 Pakeha
The Maori term for a New Zealander of European descent is Pakeha. From around 1815, this term was used to refer to anyone born in England who migrated to New Zealand, and later came to describe anyone with fair skin born in the country. Over time, as Asian immigrants arrived, the term broadened to encompass any New Zealander not of Maori or Polynesian ancestry. Some New Zealanders find the term offensive, believing it to be derogatory, possibly akin to 'white pig' or even meaning 'bugger ya.' On the other hand, some white New Zealanders have embraced the term as a symbol of pride, representing their history and place in New Zealand, while also showing respect for the indigenous Maori people. They see it as a more natural and fitting alternative to the sterile labels like 'Caucasian' or 'European New Zealander.'
Those who dislike the term Pakeha often believe its origin lies in the combination of the Maori words poaka ('pig') and keha ('flea'). However, this theory is unconvincing because both of those animals were brought to New Zealand by Europeans, and poaka likely derives from the English word 'porker.' Another theory posits that the word comes from Paakehakeha, a reference to mythical ocean gods who had the form of both men and fish, though the vowel sounds don't quite match. Alternatively, some suggest it originates from Pakepakeha, a type of pale-skinned and mischievous forest dweller, linked to the Patupaiarehe—fair-skinned beings with beautiful voices and magical reed boats. These mythological explanations are plausible, considering the first term used to describe Captain Cook and his crew was tipua or tupua, meaning 'goblin.' Regardless, there is little evidence to suggest that the word Pakeha was ever intended as derogatory.
1. Burma Or Myanmar
Myanmar, the country located between Bangladesh and Thailand in Southeast Asia, officially carries the name Myanmar. However, it is still often referred to as 'Burma,' a name it held until a government decree in 1989 changed it. At the same time, the capital city Rangoon was renamed Yangon. This change has stirred controversy, particularly because many foreigners feel that the name change, imposed by an undemocratic government without the people’s approval, lacks legitimacy. For this reason, using 'Burma' is seen by some as a pro-democracy statement. Notably, democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters continue to use the name 'Burma.'
The Naypyidaw government justifies the name 'Myanmar' by claiming it represents a broader inclusivity of the nation’s diverse ethnic groups, while 'Burma' supposedly refers only to the dominant ethnic group. However, this argument doesn’t hold much weight, as both 'Myanmar' and 'Burma' share the same root and have been used interchangeably for centuries, with 'Myanmar' generally referring to the language and 'Burma' to the people. British colonial powers were the ones who established 'Burma' as the country’s name, showing little regard for the wishes of the Burmese people, much like the current regime. Recently, there has been a shift, as Barack Obama used 'Myanmar' during a 2012 meeting with President Thein Sein, with some speculating that this was a diplomatic maneuver to improve relations and encourage liberalization. Aung San Suu Kyi, while preferring 'Burma' for its ease of pronunciation, has begun using terms like 'our country' and 'this country of ours.'
