In the English language, the word "nigger" is an ethnic slur, usually directed at black people. The word originated as a neutral term referring to people with black skin, as a variation of the Spanish and Portuguese noun negro, a descendant of the Latin adjective niger ("black"). It was often used derogatorily, and by the mid-twentieth century, particularly in the United States, its usage became unambiguously pejorative, a racist insult. Accordingly, it began to disappear from popular culture, and its continued inclusion in classic works of literature has sparked controversy. In contemporary English, using the word "nigger" is considered extremely offensive, and it is often replaced with the euphemism "the N-word". The variant "nigga" has to some extent been reclaimed by African Americans.

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