We got into a discussion the other day, during rehearsal, about the contemporary problem with this word. It came up because there's a line in Twelfth Night where one character refers to another as niggardly. The actor who has that line has changed it to "tight-fisted", an adequate replacement, and one I can't, in all honesty, argue with, mainly because it's not worth the possibility that anyone in the audience would be sidetracked by the word. It also bears acknowledging that this actor is African-American, which just adds another layer of potential confusion to the issue.
But where I got hung up on the discussion was the actor defending this choice, not simply for the above reasons, but because he felt that there's some justification for the confusion… that because the words sound alike, 'niggardly' has become a potentially offensive word. He then went on to argue that words change meanings all the time and that this is just one of those cases. (This is, apparently, a fairly common case of false etymology.)
While it can be argued that it's not worth the effort (when's the last time anyone you know actually used the word niggardly in casual conversation?) I can't simply accept the notion that because niggardly sounds like the infamous 'N-word', we must all reject its use.
My first reaction on hearing this argument is that anyone who believes they're somehow related needs a dictionary (and possibly a lesson in etymology, though that may be of dubious help.) If, after that, they still feel the same, sadly, I must reject them as a moron and not worth the trouble of saving from their own stupidity, and move on.
But, for those still capable of rational thought on the matter, allow me to disabuse you of the notion that the words are related:
But where I got hung up on the discussion was the actor defending this choice, not simply for the above reasons, but because he felt that there's some justification for the confusion… that because the words sound alike, 'niggardly' has become a potentially offensive word. He then went on to argue that words change meanings all the time and that this is just one of those cases. (This is, apparently, a fairly common case of false etymology.)
While it can be argued that it's not worth the effort (when's the last time anyone you know actually used the word niggardly in casual conversation?) I can't simply accept the notion that because niggardly sounds like the infamous 'N-word', we must all reject its use.
My first reaction on hearing this argument is that anyone who believes they're somehow related needs a dictionary (and possibly a lesson in etymology, though that may be of dubious help.) If, after that, they still feel the same, sadly, I must reject them as a moron and not worth the trouble of saving from their own stupidity, and move on.
But, for those still capable of rational thought on the matter, allow me to disabuse you of the notion that the words are related:
niggardlyFrankly, you can look up the other word here, if you're so inclined. But chances are, you already know the definition of THAT word.
Function: adjective
1 : grudgingly mean about spending or granting : BEGRUDGING
2 : provided in meanly limited supply
synonym see STINGY
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