List of ethnic slurs
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The following is a list of ethnic slurs or ethnophaulisms or ethnic epithets that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnicity or racial group or to refer to them in a derogatory,
pejorative A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...
, or otherwise insulting manner. Some of the terms listed below (such as "gringo", "yank", etc.) can be used in casual speech without any intention of causing offense. The
connotation A connotation is a commonly understood cultural or emotional association that any given word or phrase carries, in addition to its explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation. A connotation is frequently described as either positive ...
of a term and prevalence of its use as a pejorative or neutral descriptor varies over time and by geography. For the purposes of this list, an ''ethnic slur'' is a term designed to insult others on the basis of race, ethnicity, or
nationality Nationality is a legal identification of a person in international law, establishing the person as a subject, a ''national'', of a sovereign state. It affords the state jurisdiction over the person and affords the person the protection of t ...
. Each term is listed followed by its country or region of usage, a definition, and a reference to that term. Ethnic slurs may also be produced as a racial epithet by combining a general-purpose insult with the name of ethnicity, such as "dirty Jew", "Russian pig", etc. Other common insulting modifiers include "dog", "filthy", etc. However, such terms are not included in this list.


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}) in Thai mean ''fraction'' (derogatory). , , - ,
Chankoro is a largely archaic Japanese name for China. The word was originally used neutrally in both the Chinese and Japanese languages, but came to be perceived as derogatory by the Chinese during the course of the Sino-Japanese Wars. As a result, ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, Chinese people , ja, チャンコロ, a Japanese reference to a Chinese person. , , - , rowspan="2", Charlie , United States ,
White American White Americans are Americans who identify as and are perceived to be white people. This group constitutes the majority of the people in the United States. As of the 2020 Census, 61.6%, or 204,277,273 people, were white alone. This represented ...
s , Used in the 1960s–1970s. White people as a reified collective oppressor group, similar to ''The Man'' or ''The System''. , , - , United States , Vietnamese people ,
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
Slang term used by American troops as a shorthand term for Vietnamese guerrillas, derived from the verbal shorthand for "Victor Charlie", the
NATO phonetic alphabet The (International) Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet, commonly known as the NATO phonetic alphabet, is the most widely used set of clear code words for communicating the letters of the Roman alphabet, technically a ''radiotelephonic spellin ...
for VC, the abbreviation for Viet Cong. The (regular)
North Vietnamese Army The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; vi, Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, QĐNDVN), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (), is the military force of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the armed wi ...
was referred to as "Mr. Charles". , , - , China Swede , United States ,
Finns Finns or Finnish people ( fi, suomalaiset, ) are a Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland. Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these ...
, Derogatory term for Finnish immigrants to the United States, particularly in
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
and
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
. , , - , Chee-chee, Chi-chi , South Asia ,
Eurasian Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipela ...
Mixed-race people, especially Anglo-Indians , Probably derived from Hindi ''chi-chi fie!'', literally, dirt. , , - , Cheesehead , ,
Dutch people The Dutch (Dutch language, Dutch: ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Netherlands. They share a common history and culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, ...
or
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
ites. , , , - , Cheese-eating surrender monkeys ,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
people , From the defeat of the French by the Germans in 1940, and the huge variety of cheeses originating from France. Gained popularity after the term was used on an episode of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
''. , , - , Chefur (čefur) , Slovenia , Non-
Slovenian Slovene or Slovenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Slovenia, a country in Central Europe * Slovene language, a South Slavic language mainly spoken in Slovenia * Slovenes, an ethno-linguistic group mainly living in Slovenia * Sl ...
people of former Yugoslavia (
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of ...
,
Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic ...
, Bosniaks, Montenegrins, Macedonians) , , , - , Tsekwa / Chekwa , Philippines , Chinese Filipino people , Used in Filipino/
Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Taga ...
and other
Philippine languages The Philippine languages or Philippinic are a proposed group by R. David Paul Zorc (1986) and Robert Blust (1991; 2005; 2019) that include all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi, Indonesia—except Sama–Bajaw (language ...
, which derived it from the late 19th century Cebuano Bisaya street children's
limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2 ...
, ceb, Intsik, wákang, káun, kalibang!, lit=Chinese ( laborer), I work, eat, and shit!, where "Intsik"/"Insik" is derived from the Philippine Hokkien term, , while "wakang"/"gwakang" is derived from the Philippine Hokkien term, , while "kaon"/"kaun" is from the Cebuano Bisaya term, ceb, kaon, lit=to eat, while "kalibang" is from the Cebuano Bisaya term, ceb, kalibang, lit=to defecate. , , - , Chernozhopy , Russia , Indigenous people from the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...
, e.g. from Chechnya or Azerbaijan. , черножопый, or ''chornaya zhopa'', meaning "black-arse" in Russian. , , - , Chilote , Argentina , Chilean people , , , - , Chinaman , United States, Canada , Chinese people , A
calque In linguistics, a calque () or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation. When used as a verb, "to calque" means to borrow a word or phrase from another language ...
of the Chinese 中國人. It was used in the gold rush and railway-construction eras in western United States when discrimination against the Chinese was common. , , - , Ching chong , United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India, Philippines , Chinese people , Mocking the language of or a person of perceived Chinese descent. , , - ,
Chink ''Chink'' is an English-language ethnic slur usually referring to a person of Chinese descent. The word is also sometimes indiscriminately used against people of East Asian, North Asian and Southeast Asian appearance. The use of the term des ...
, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, India , Chinese people , , , - , Chinky , Mainland India , Northeast Indian people , The sound "chin" refers to
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
. The slur refers to the shared facial features of Northeast Indians and ethnically Chinese peoples. , , - , Chonky , , Asian people , Refers to a person of Asian heritage with "white attributes", in either personality or appearance. , , - ,
Christ-killer Jewish deicide is the notion that the Jews as a people were collectively responsible for the killing of Jesus. A Biblical justification for the charge of Jewish deicide is derived from Matthew 27:24–25. Some rabbinical authorities, such as ...
, , Jewish people , An allusion to Jewish deicide. , , - ,
Choc-ice A choc ice is the British English term for a generic frozen dessert generally consisting of a rectangular block of ice cream—typically vanilla flavour—which is thinly coated with chocolate. In many countries, there are numerous versions of ...
, , Black people , A person who is figuratively 'black on the outside, white on the inside'. , , - , rowspan="2", Cholo , Latin America, Southwestern United States , Indigenous or Mestizo people , It may be derogatory depending on circumstances. , , - , Chile ,
Bolivian people Bolivians ( es, Bolivianos) are people identified with the country of Bolivia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Bolivians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
, Peruvian people , , , - , Chug , Canada , Canadian aboriginal people , See Chugach for the native people. , , - , Chukhna , Russia , Finnic people , , , - , Churka ( , Russia , Western and Central Asians , чурка slur for Central Asians and indigenous people of Caucasus. , , - , Ciapaty, ciapak , Poland , Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian, and Caucasian people. , Derived from chapati. , , - , Cigányforma , Hungary (17th century) , old Hungarian slur against persons with the combination of black hair with brown eyes, regardless ethnicity , Its literal meaning is "Gypsy form" , , - , Cigány népek , Hungary (17th century) , old Hungarian slur against ethnic groups or nations where the combination of black hair with brown eyes are dominant , Its literal meaning is "Gypsy folks" , , - , Cioară ,
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
,
Romani people The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic Itinerant groups in Europe, itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have Ro ...
and Black people , Means crow , , - , Cina / Cokin , Indonesia , Chinese people , Use in media has been banned since 2014 under Keppres no. 12/2014, replaced by ''Tiongkok'' (from Zhongguo 中国) or Tionghoa (from Zhonghua 中华). The President Decision (Keppres) even bans use of "China" in media and formal use. , , - , rowspan="3", Coconut , rowspan="3", United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia , Hispanics/Latinos, South/Southeast Asians , Named after the coconut, in the American sense, it derives from the fact that a coconut is brown on the outside and white on the inside. A person of Hispanic/Latino or South/Southeast Asian descent who is seen as being assimilated into white American culture. , , - , South Asians , A
brown person Brown or brown people is a racial and ethnic term. Like black people and white people, it is a term for race based on human skin color. In the age of scientific racism In the 18th and 19th century, European and American writers proposed g ...
of South Asian descent is perceived as fully assimilated into
Western culture Leonardo da Vinci's ''Vitruvian Man''. Based on the correlations of ideal Body proportions">human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise ''De architectura''. image:Plato Pio-Cle ...
. , , - ,
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, , , - , Coño , Chile ,
Spanish people Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex history, including a number of different languages, both i ...
, Used in to refer to Spanish people given the perception that they recurrently use of the vulgar interjection ''coño'' (lit. "cunt"). , , - , Coolie , United States, Canada , Asian people, usually Chinese, and Indo-Caribbean people , Unskilled Asian laborer (originally used in the 19th century for Chinese railroad laborers). Possibly from Mandarin "苦力" ''ku li'' or Hindi ''kuli'', "day laborer." Also racial epithet for Indo-Caribbean people, especially in Guyana,
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
and
South African Indians Indian South Africans are South Africans who descend from indentured labourers and free migrants who arrived from British India during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The majority live in and around the city of Durban, making it one of the l ...
. , , - , rowspan="3", Coon , United States, Commonwealth , Black people , Slur popularized by Coon songs played at Minstrel show. Originally associated in the 1830s with the U.S. Whig Party who used a raccoon as their emblem. The Whigs were more tolerant towards blacks than other main parties. After the party folded the term "coon" evolved from political slang into a racial slur. Within African American communities, the word has been used to refer to a black person who is allegedly a "sellout". , , - , Australia , Aboriginal Australian , , , - , New Zealand , Pacific Islander , , , - , Coonass, Coon-ass , United States , Cajun people , Not to be confused with the French '' connasse'', meaning cunt. , , - , Coreano , Chile , Chinese and Japanese people , , , - ,
Cracker Cracker, crackers or The Crackers may refer to: Animals * ''Hamadryas'' (butterfly), or crackers, a genus of brush-footed butterflies * '' Sparodon'', a monotypic genus whose species is sometimes known as "Cracker" Arts and entertainment Films ...
, United States , White people, especially poor Appalachian and Southern people , First used in the 19th century. It is sometimes used specifically to refer to a native of
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
or Georgia. Also used in a more general sense in the United States to refer to white people disparagingly. , , - , Crow , United States , , , , - , Crucco (m.), crucca (f.) , Italy ,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
people , The name was firstly given during the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
to the troops of the Austro-Hungarian Army of Croatian and
Slovenian Slovene or Slovenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Slovenia, a country in Central Europe * Slovene language, a South Slavic language mainly spoken in Slovenia * Slovenes, an ethno-linguistic group mainly living in Slovenia * Sl ...
ethnicity. Later the term was used to indicate the Germans. , , - , Curepí , Paraguay , Argentines , A common term used by people from Paraguay for people from Argentina, it means "pig's skin". , , - , Curry-muncher , Australia, Africa, New Zealand, United States, Canada ,
South Asian People South Asian ethnic groups are an ethnolinguistic grouping of the diverse populations of South Asia, including the nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. While Afghanistan is variously considered to b ...
, , , - ,
Cushi The word Cushi or Kushi ( he, כּוּשִׁי colloquial: ) is generally used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to a dark-skinned person of African descent, equivalent to Greek "'' Aithíops''". Etymology and biblical use The word is a derivation ...
, Kushi (כושי) , Israel , Dark-skinned people , Term originated from Kushite, referring to an individual from the Ancient
Kingdom of Kush The Kingdom of Kush (; Egyptian: 𓎡𓄿𓈙 𓈉 ''kꜣš'', Assyrian: ''Kûsi'', in LXX grc, Κυς and Κυσι ; cop, ''Ecōš''; he, כּוּשׁ ''Kūš'') was an ancient kingdom in Nubia, centered along the Nile Valley in wh ...
. This was also mentioned in the
Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' African descent. Originally merely descriptive, in present-day
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
it increasingly assumed a pejorative connotation and is regarded as insulting by Ethiopian Israelis; and by non-Jewish,
Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...
n migrant workers and asylum seekers in Israel. , , - , Czarnuch (m.), czarnucha (f.) , Poland , Black people , ,


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}, lt, kacapas; self-deprecating usage by Russians , , - , Kebab , ,
Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
, usually of
Arabian The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...
or Turkic descent. , , , - , Keko , Turkey , Kurdish men , Originally neutral Kurdish word meaning man, pal, or friend, but became derogatory among Turkish speakers. , , - , Keling ,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
, Malaysians, Singaporeans and Indonesians , In Indonesian, the term can be applied to any person with dark complexion, not only of Indian descent, but also to native Indonesians with darker complexion and Africans. The term is derived from the ancient
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
n region of
Kalinga Kalinga may refer to: Geography, linguistics and/or ethnology * Kalinga (historical region), a historical region of India ** Kalinga (Mahabharata), an apocryphal kingdom mentioned in classical Indian literature ** Kalinga script, an ancient writin ...
, where many immigrants to countries further east originated. , , - , Kemosabe/Kemosahbee , United States , Native Americans , the term used by the fictional Native American sidekick Tonto as the "Native American" name for the Lone Ranger in the American television and radio programs The Lone Ranger. , , - , Khach (), Khachik () , Russia , Peoples of the Caucasus, particularly
North Caucasus The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...
and
Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
, From Armenian խաչ ''khach,'' meaning cross (cf. khachkar).
Khatchik Khatchík or Khatchig is an Armenian given name (now it is a diminutive of Khachatur). Notable people with the name include: * Khachig I — Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church between 973 and 992. * Gurgen-Khachik Artsruni (died 1003) ...
is also an Armenian given name coming from the same root. Khachik is considered milder and happens to be used in neutral contexts. , , - ,
Kharkhuwa Kharkhuwa or Kharkhowa ( as, খাৰখোৱা) is an Assamese term which is used to signify a person necessarily having Assamese ethnicity and a descendant of people of medieval Assam, now a territory of India. The word Kharkhuwa has foun ...
, India ,
Assamese people The Assamese people are a socio- ethnic linguistic identity that has been described at various times as nationalistic or micro-nationalistic. This group is often associated with the Assamese language, the easternmost Indo-Aryan language, ...
, , , - , Khokhol () , Russia , Ukrainian people , Derived from a term for a traditional Cossack-style haircut. , , - ,
Kike The word ''kike'' () is an ethnic slur for a Jew. Etymology The earliest recorded use of the word dates to the 1880s.
''or'' kyke , United States , Ashkenazi Jewish people , Possibly from ''kikel'', Yiddish for "circle". Immigrant Jews who couldn't read English often signed legal documents with an "O" (similar to an "X", to which Jews objected because "X" also symbolizes a cross). , , - , Kimchi , , Korean people , , , - , Kıro , Turkey , Kurdish men , A word used to describe rude and hairy men, pejoratively refers to the Kurds. , , - ,
Knacker A knacker (), knackerman or knacker man is a person who removes and clears animal carcasses (dead, dying, injured) from private farms or public highways and renders the collected carcasses into by-products such as fats, tallow (yellow greas ...
, Ireland ,
Irish Traveler Irish Travellers ( ga, an lucht siúil, meaning "the walking people"), also known as Pavees or Mincéirs (Shelta: Mincéirí), are a traditionally peripatetic indigenous ethno-cultural group in Ireland.''Questioning Gypsy identity: ethnic na ...
s , , , - ,
Kolorad The ribbon of Saint George (also known as Saint George's ribbon, the Georgian ribbon; russian: Георгиевская ленточка, Georgiyevskaya lentochka; and the Guards ribbon in Soviet context: see Terminology for further information ...
, Ukraine , Pro-Russian separatists and Russian invaders , In reference to Russian
St. George ribbon The ribbon of Saint George (also known as Saint George's ribbon, the Georgian ribbon; russian: Георгиевская ленточка, Georgiyevskaya lentochka; and the Guards ribbon in Soviet context: see Terminology for further information ...
whose coloration resembles the stripes of the
Colorado beetle The Colorado potato beetle (''Leptinotarsa decemlineata''), also known as the Colorado beetle, the ten-striped spearman, the ten-lined potato beetle, or the potato bug, is a major pest of potato crops. It is about long, with a bright yellow/ ...
. , , - , Krankie , England , Scottish people , , , - , Krakkemut , Denmark , Arabs, Middle Easterns , While originally being used against greenlanders, it is now mostly used against Middel Easterns and Arabs. The word comes from the greenlandic word "Qaqqamut" meaning "to the mountain, up the mountain", however, the danish people began to pick up the word as an aggressive slur, and used it against the greenlanders, and slowly, it became a slur against the more frequent Arab and Middle Eastern immigrants in Denmark. , , - , Kraut , United States, Canada, Commonwealth ,
German people , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
, Derived from
sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ...
, used most specifically during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. ,


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}, pl, moskal, russian: москаль, german: moskowiter ,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...
,
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
, Russians , Historically a neutral designation for a person from Muscovy, currently refers to
Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 '' Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...
. , , - ,
Mountain Turk A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...
, Turkey , Kurdish people , Former Turkish governments denied the
Kurds ug:كۇردلار Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian peoples, Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Ir ...
their own ethnicity, calling them Mountain Turks (''dağ Türkleri''). Germans also used this word to describe Albanians, now it refers to the earlier. , , - , Mulignan/Mulignon/Moolinyan , United States , Black people , Used by Italian-Americans. Deriving from "mulignana" the word for eggplant in some South Italian linguistic variants. Also called a mouli. , , - , Munt , Rhodesia, originally military , Black people, usually men , , , - , Mustalainen , Finland ,
Romani people The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic Itinerant groups in Europe, itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have Ro ...
, , , - , Maxhup ,
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a international recognition of Kosovo, partiall ...
,
Romani people The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic Itinerant groups in Europe, itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have Ro ...
, Expression of contempt for someone, usually
Romani people The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic Itinerant groups in Europe, itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have Ro ...
, , - ,
Mzungu Also known as ''muzungu'', ''mlungu'', ''musungu'' or ''musongo'', () is a Bantu word that means "wanderer" originally pertaining to spirits. The term is currently used in predominantly Swahili speaking nations to refer to white people dating bac ...
, Eastern and Southern Africa,
Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
, White people , May be both pejorative and affectionate, depending on usage ,


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Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
, Jews , Soviet epithet, originated in the official parlance, as an accusation of lack of full allegiance to the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
. , , - , Rosuke, Roske , Japanese , Russians , "suke/ske" is a Japanese general-purpose derogatory suffix. , , - ,
Rooinek The British diaspora in Africa is a population group broadly defined as English-speaking white Africans of mainly (but not only) British descent who live in or come from Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority live in South Africa and other Southern A ...
, South Africa , British people ,
Slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gr ...
for a person of British descent. , , - ,
Roto ''Roto'', f. ''rota'', (literally "torn" or "broken") is a term used to refer to Chilean people and in particular to the common Chilean. In Chile from the start of the 20th century it was applied with a negative classist connotation to poor ci ...
,
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
,
Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
, Chilean people , Used to refer disdainfully. The term ''roto'' ("tattered") was first applied to Spanish conquerors in Chile, who were badly dressed and preferred military strength over intellect. , , - , Roundeye , English-speaking Asians , Non-Asians, especially White people , , , - , Russki, ruski (in Poland) , , Russians, from Russian Русский ''Russkiy'', meaning "Russian." , ,


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Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
er ( Thai Chinese) ,
Central Thai people Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
(usually include
Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * A ...
s) , literally: Siamese pig; Low and vile likes pigs, easy to fatten and slaughter, easy money. Mostly refers to Central Thais who migrated to Bangkok. , , - , Sideways vagina/pussy/cooter , , Asian women, particularly Chinese women. , , , - , Skinny , United States , Somali people , A term most commonly used for Somali militia fighters , , - , Skopianoi , Greece , Ethnic Macedonians , derived from
Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
, the capital city of North Macedonia. , , - , Skip, Skippy , Australia , An Australian, especially one of British descent , Derived from the children's television series '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo''. , , - , Skævøjet , Denmark , East Asian people , Skævøjet, literally meaning "with crooked eyes", is a reference to their appearance. , , - , Slant, slant–eye , , East Asian people , In reference to the appearance of the eyes. , , - , Slope, slopehead, slopy, slopey, sloper , Australia, United Kingdom, and United States , Asian people (especially Vietnamese in Australia; especially Chinese in America) , Also slant, slant–eye. , , - , Snowflake , United States , White people , Mostly used in this context in the 19th and 20th centuries , , - , Smoked Irish/Smoked Irishman , United States , Black people , a 19th-century term intended to insult both blacks and Irish but used primarily for black people. , , - , Somdeang (โสมแดง) , Thailand , North Koreans , literally: red ginseng. (see also ''Somkhao'') , , - , Somkhao (โสมขาว) , Thailand , South Koreans , literally: white ginseng. (see also ''Somdeang'') , , - , Soosmar-khor: (سوسمار خور) , Persia , Arabian people , Persian for "lizard eater," referring to the eating of lizards in Arab cuisine. , , - , Sooty , United States , Black people , Originated in the 1950s. , , - , Southern Faerie, Southern Fairy , United Kingdom , Southern English people , Used in the North of England to refer to someone from the South, alluding to their supposed mollycoddled ways. (see also ''Northern Monkey'') , , - , Soutpiel , South Africa , White
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
speakers , an
Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gr ...
term abbreviated as "Soutie" and translates as "Salt-penis," it derives from the Boer Wars where it was said that British soldiers had one foot in the United Kingdom, one foot in South Africa, and their penis dangled in the Atlantic Ocean (filled with saltwater). , , - , Spade , , Black people , Recorded since 1928 ( OED), from the playing cards suit. , , - , Spearchucker , , Africans, African Americans , Derived from the idea that people of African descent were primitive. , , - ,
Spic ''Spic'' (also spelled ''spick'') is an ethnic slur used in the United States for people from Latin American countries and states. Etymology Some sources from the United States believe that the word ''spic'' is a play on a Spanish-accented pron ...
, spick, spik, spig, or spigotty , United States , Hispanic people , First recorded use in 1915. Believed to be a play on a Spanish-accented pronunciation of the English word ''speak''. May apply to Spanish speakers in general. , Interactive Dictionary of Language. Accessed 12 April 2007. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Accessed 12 April 2007.Santiago, Esmeralda. When I Was Puerto Rican. New York: Vintage Books, 1993. , - , Spook , , Black people , Attested from the 1940s. , , - , Squarehead , , Nordic people, such as
Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and S ...
ns or
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
s. , Refers to either the stereotyped shape of their heads, or to the shape of the Stahlhelm M1916 steel helmet, or to its owner's stubbornness (like a block of wood). , , - ,
Squaw The English word ''squaw'' is an ethnic and sexual slur, historically used for Indigenous North American women. Contemporary use of the term, especially by non-Natives, is considered derogatory, misogynist, and racist.King, C. Richard,De/ ...
, United States and Canada , Native American women , Derived from lower East Coast Algonquian (
Massachusett The Massachusett were a Native American tribe from the region in and around present-day Greater Boston in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name comes from the Massachusett language term for "At the Great Hill," referring to the Blue Hil ...
: ''ussqua''), which originally meant "young woman". , , - , Swamp Guinea , , Italian people , , , - , Szkop, skopčák , Poland, Czech Republic , German people , The Polish term was particularly often used for
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
soldiers during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. , , - , Szwab , Poland , German people , Derived from
Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...
. See also: Fritz ,


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See also

* :Sex- and gender-related slurs * Fighting words *
Graphic pejoratives in written Chinese Some historical Chinese characters for non-Chinese peoples were graphically pejorative ethnic slurs, where the racial insult derived not from the Chinese word but from the character used to write it. For instance, written Chinese first transcribed ...
* Hate speech *
List of disability-related terms with negative connotations The following is a list of terms, used to describe disabilities or people with disabilities, which may carry negative connotations or be offensive to people with or without disabilities. Some people consider it best to use person-first langua ...
* List of ethnic group names used as insults * List of ethnic slurs by ethnicity * List of LGBT slang terms * List of regional nicknames *
List of religious slurs The following is a list of religious slurs or religious insults in the English language that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about adherents or non-believers of a given religion or irreligion, or to refer to them in a derogat ...
* List of terms used for Germans * Lists of pejorative terms for people * Term of disparagement * Xenophobia *
Xenophobia in the United States Xenophobia () is the fear or dislike of anything which is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression of perceived conflict between an in-group and out-group and may manifest in suspicion by the one of the other's activities, a ...
* Xenophobia and racism related to the COVID-19 pandemic * wikt:English ethnic slurs * Wiktionary category: English derogatory terms * wikt:Appendix:English terms for outsiders


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* Burchfield, Robert. "Dictionaries and Ethnic Sensibilities." In ''The State of the Language'', ed. Leonard Michaels and Christopher Ricks, University of California Press, 1980, pp. 15–23. * Croom, Adam M
"Racial Epithets: What We Say and Mean by Them"
''Dialogue'' 51 (1):34–45 (2008) * Henderson, Anita. "What's in a Slur?" ''American Speech'', Volume 78, Number 1, Spring 2003, pp. 52–74 in
Project MUSE Project MUSE, a non-profit collaboration between libraries and publishers, is an online database of peer-reviewed academic journals and electronic books. Project MUSE contains digital humanities and social science content from over 250 univers ...
* Kennedy, Randall. ''Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word'' (Pantheon, 2002) * Mencken, H. L. "Designations for Colored Folk." ''American Speech'', 1944. 19: 161–74. * Wachal, Robert S. "Taboo and Not Taboo: That Is the Question." ''American Speech'', 2002. vol. 77: 195–206.


Dictionaries

* Erin McKean, ed. ''The New Oxford American Dictionary'', second edition. (Oxford University Press, 2005) * Eric Partridge, ''A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English'' (2002) * John A. Simpson, ''Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series''. * Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson, ed. ''The Concise Oxford English Dictionary''. (Oxford University Press, 2004) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ethnic slurs, List of Ethnic Slurs Profanity Ethnic slurs Lists of pejorative terms for people