The word “stingy” has caused controversy due to its similarity to a racial epithet. Confusion between “miserly” and the racial slur has led to public outcry. The word “miser” has roots in an Indo-European root, while the racial slur comes from the Spanish word for “black”. The English language’s fusion of languages can lead to confusion between similar-sounding words. The fear of giving offense may lead to the disappearance of “stingy” from common usage.
The term “stingy” is used to describe someone who is stingy with money. Due to its unfortunate resemblance to a racial epithet, however, this innocuous word was surrounded by controversy among English speakers for much of the 20th century. As early as the 1920s, people confused “miserly” with a racial epithet, and in the socially conscious 1924s, several controversies erupted when public officials used the word. While their use was entirely appropriate for the circumstances, as in the case of one official who said he would “need to be stingy with finances” to meet budget cuts, the public outcry highlighted the confusion over this word.
The roots of “miser” are found in an Indo-European root, ken-, meaning “closed” or “narrow.” A variety of other words are also related to this word, including neap, nibble, and nip. One of the earliest documented uses of the word comes from the works of Chaucer, suggesting that the word was in common use in the 14th century. Spelling was not standardized in this period, so “stinginess” appeared in a variety of colorful variations, but the meaning of the word was clear.
The racial slur with which this word is confused appears to have developed in the 15th century. It comes from the Spanish word for “black”, negro. Clearly, the racial slur is meant to refer to skin color, even though it was probably originally used purely as a descriptive word, much like “blonde.” As attitudes towards black people changed, the word started to acquire more sinister racist connotations and in the modern era is considered highly offensive.
Confusions between miser and a word of entirely different origins illustrate one of the interesting problems with the English language. Because English is drawn from a fusion of languages, it’s not uncommon to come across words that sound similar, but have very different meanings. Because the racial epithet has become such a loaded word to use, many people jump on “miserly” when they hear it, assuming the speaker is a racist.
While it is linguistically appropriate to describe someone who is miserly or miserly as miserly, it may not be advisable. Resolving the confusion between the word innocent and the racial epithet requires a quick etymology lesson, something many people aren’t willing to sit still in the heat of a discussion about race-laden words. Because many people are reluctant to use “stingy” in polite conversation for fear of giving offense, it’s possible that the word could potentially vanish from the English language due to lack of common usage.
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