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I got to thinking, reading "The N-word rigging" topic... when young black people use the word to refer to each other, is this a valid example of a shiboleth?
Young blacks (mostly male, I think) are, of course, the one segment of society that can get away with using this word, and it is, I am guessing, the reason that they use it: they feel empowered with their ability, while others, and especially anlgos, are not empowered to use it.
Opinions?
While agnostic of psychological root cause or effect, I think the socio-linguistic observation is correct. The fact that a limited segment of society uses it qualifies it as a shibboleth. However, it may be a dual shibboleth: it is also sometimes used as a shibboleth in racist circles to affirm membership.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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