KIKE

In modern English language, the word 'kike' is a pejorative ethnic slur referring to a Jew, often used by antisemites. In cultures where this word is a given name, it is not considered derogatory.

Contents

Etymology

Non-derogatory usage

References

See also

Etymology

The etymology of the term is uncertain. It may be an alteration of a common ending of the personal names of Eastern European Jews who emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century. The first recorded usage of the term is in 1904.^[1]Kim Pearson's ''Rhetoric of Race'' by Eric Wolarsky. The College of New Jersey.
According to Leo Rosten,

"The word kike was born on Ellis Island, when Jewish immigrants who were illiterate (or could not use Roman-English letters), when asked to sign the entry-forms with the customary 'X,' refused—and instead made a circle. The Yiddish word for 'circle' is kikel (pronounced KY - kel), and for 'little circle,' kikeleh. Before long the immigration inspectors were calling anyone who signed with an 'O' instead of an 'X' a kikel or kikeleh or kikee or, finally and succinctly, kike."^[2]

In the eyes of many European Jews, a cross was the sign of Christian persecution from which they sought the refuge in the New World. According to Rosten, Jewish American merchants continued to sign with an 'O' instead of an 'X' for several decades, spreading the nickname ''kike'' wherever they went as a result. At that time ''kike'' was more of an affectionate term, used by Jews to describe other Jews, and only developed into a ethnic slur later on.
An alternative to this suggested etymology is given in Daniel Cassidy's "How the Irish invented slang..", where Cassidy notes how the Irish Language word "''Ciabhóg''" (Pron. k'i'og) was the general term used by the irish and Irish-Americans to denote the Payot of Orthodox Jews.
Kike means Cockroach in Arabic, in other words....Jews are like Cockroaches no matter what you do they keep coming back, a very resiliant people....

Non-derogatory usage

"Kike" is used as a given name in the Spanish language, in variance with English pronunciation and usage. In Spanish, "Kike" or "Quique" is pronounced // and is a diminutive form of "Enrique" ^[3]. Other variations include the German Kiker and Kyker family. The roach family.

References

1. Oxford English Dictionary, ''kike''
2. Leo Rosten: ''The Joys of Yiddish'', cited in Kim Pearson's ''Rhetoric of Race'' by Eric Wolarsky. The College of New Jersey.
3. Behind the name: Quique

See also

★ Antisemitism

★ List of ethnic group names used as insults (distinct from the below)

★ List of ethnic slurs

★ Profanity — with a discussion of how words can differ in meaning and offensiveness depending on who is using them.

★ Yid