Abstract
The study aimed to identify the semantic and structural characteristics of ethnophobic terms with a colour component, as well as the conceptual basis and extralinguistic factors that have a role in their formation. Ethnophobic terms tend to emerge in the non-standard language, with slang making its core. Although often marked as derogatory or impolite, ethnicity-laden slang expressions form a dynamic and productive part of non-standard vocabulary, largely due to their pragmatic power. Ethnophobic terms used with reference to the largest ethnic minorities in the USA (Black, Latin and Native Americans) became the focus of our research. Given their prototypical nature and a wide spectrum of connotations, basic colour terms have shown the highest potential for integration with the ethnicity concept: an overwhelming number of ethnophobic terms contain explicit or implicit colour components in their semantic structure encoding the following colour categories: black, brown, red, yellow, and white. We have also suggested that in American ethnophobic slang, the universal opposition of black and may have transformed into a conceptual opposition of white vs. non-white that has a variety of verbal representations. In addition, semantic configuration and evaluative power of colour categories are determined by the speaker’s point of reference affected by the stereotypes dominating their ethnic groups. Data analysis has shown that the morphological means of word formation typical of ethnophobic terms, including suffixation, compounding, blending, and abbreviation, are mainly combined with metonymy, metaphor, or both.
Highlights
Over the last decades, international expansion has become conspicuous in many spheres of human activity, with extensive ties being built across the global business, scientific and cultural community
Ethnophobic terms used with reference to the largest ethnic minorities in the USA (Black, Latin and Native Americans) became the focus of our research. Given their prototypical nature and a wide spectrum of connotations, basic colour terms have shown the highest potential for integration with the ethnicity concept: an overwhelming number of ethnophobic terms contain explicit or implicit colour components in their semantic structure encoding the following colour categories: black, brown, red, yellow, and white
Numerous examples illustrate the use of colour terms, explicitly naming the corresponding colour categories, as structural parts of ethnophobic words and phrases: e.g., blackie, black Barbie, Blacky Chan, BAP (Black American Princess), red skin, red bone, high yellow, brown tractor, wellow, where the colour component metonymically refers to a certain race or ethnic group
Summary
International expansion has become conspicuous in many spheres of human activity, with extensive ties being built across the global business, scientific and cultural community. A growing need for raising public awareness of the differences in the language, values, beliefs and other attributes shared by various ethnic groups and cultural communities. Understanding and accepting these will contribute to increasing cross-cultural sensitivity, bringing about change in the social norms and conventions, such as avoiding the use of gender-, race- or ethnicity-laden language. Despite the recent attempts by mass media, academic and business circles to promote the political correctness and cross-cultural sensitivity of verbal interaction, global digital connection, might contribute to "popularising" slur words and phrases that would otherwise be a topic of scholarly interest in studies on lexicology or remain restricted to the use in highly informal contexts, or by
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