can anyone tell me this

[TonySorrento]

Chickened nailed it ...

 

[Nitrous]

It's Latin for "with lowering". In modern parlance, it is not usually used to mean you are lowering yourself, but attempting to show others how low they are. Not in a good way. You aren't humbling them, just pointing out their flaws, whether they exist or not.

A good example of this would be if I told you the words "You wouldn't understand." As though you are not smart enough to be at the level of the other people, in the room, who *would* understand.

 

[TonySorrento]

Definition of CONDESCEND

intransitive verb
1
a : to descend to a less formal or dignified level : unbend b : to waive the privileges of rank
2
: to assume an air of superiority
See condescend defined for English-language learners »

See condescend defined for kids »​

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It means both .. that was my whole point ..... this is in the Current Websters dictionary​

 

[EweSheep]

couldn't it be of a narcassic way of doing things? A let down?

 

[chickened]

Think of it as niggardly which has nothing to do with race but is seen by some as racially offensive. If it is used by a white toward a black it is racial but when white to any other race it is just a word.

 

[EweSheep]

Please define "niggardly". Also "slaved". Two different meanings, as time went on, our thinking changed with the times.

"Negro" means black and the word "niggar/******" was a slang term that the Americans used for Negros that came from Africa or their color, or a parasite.

What so offensive back in those days are not offensive today.

Remember the word "gay"?

Back then, it meant to be "happy". Today, its the slang word for homosexuality.

 

[Bunnylady]

Think of it as niggardly which has nothing to do with race but is seen by some as racially offensive. If it is used by a white toward a black it is racial but when white to any other race it is just a word.

Try again. "N*****" (spelled with an e) is a slang corruption of the Spanish word for "black." It is racially offensive coming out of the mouth of a white person (but is apparently benign when used by a person with a similarly dark complexion). "Niggardly" is a word with Scandinavian roots. It has nothing to do with color at all, and simply means "stingy," there is no implication about the race of the one being stingy. The similarity of the words is merely that of common letters and pronunciation. Only people who are determined to get offended have any reason to be offended when an inoffensive word is used in its proper context.

Oh, dear. Do I sound condescending?

 

[mulewagon]

The word "niggard" is not related to the word "Negro" (or its misspellings). "Niggard" is a Middle English word meaning "miserly". (It's related to words like "nidering" or "nithling".)

Negro is from the Latin for "black". It is often mispronounced as "******", these days as an insult.

The similarities of the words are just a coincidence.

(Edited to add: Butterfingers, Bunnylady!

)

 

[AquaEyes]

Chickened nailed it ...

um...he basically re-said what I said...

 

[EweSheep]

Such a great education I'm getting for free! LOL!