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Originally Posted by pigglet
I *think* that particular epithet was developed specifically to denigrate black people, whereas the word "gay" was used for a long long time before it became a "homosexual" word. I suppose the same could be said about the word "fag," or for that matter "spook" or a ton of other descriptive terms like this.
I guess I tend to be less upset about words that pre-existed their slang usage of various shades of intolerance than I am by words that are specifically created for that purpose.
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The problem with this line of thought is that language is a living entity. It isn't something you learn, and then leave behind, it is a living, breathing form. One that is constantly evolving.
While it's true that "Gay" has only become synonomous with homosexuality within the last 50 years, that does not exclude it from being, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the definition used for the word Gay. More than that, if the people who choose to use the word Gay's original meaning, we'd still regard them as peculiar for using a word that means "happy" as derogatory.
Nor is this a singular event. The meanings, the denotations and connotations of plenty of words have changed throughout history.
This book discusses many of them.
The point is, we do not have the luxury of being unperturbed by the original definition of any word and it's current usage. Within the framework of language, common usage is the rule, not the exception, if ninety-nine out of a hundred times, the word is used in a way different to it's originally meaning, it is still considered completely valid usage. Just because the word means happy, doesn't mean it can't be used in a derogatory manner, and if people are offended by that usage, then that must be fought.