ABSTRACT
Naming, a crucial aspect of identity, is an important aspect of the exercise of dominance, notably evident in the naming of conquered territories by colonial powers. It is also significant that nations that undergo colonization generally acquire a great number of nicknames for their indigenous populations. The giving of nicknames to individuals, groups, and nations springs from mixed motives. Although the Oxford English Dictionary entry notes that nicknames are “usually given in ridicule or pleasantry,” modern sociolinguistic research indicates that the attribution of group nicknames derives more from ridicule, belittlement, and prejudicial motives. They are commonly manifestations of martial and religious rivalry, competition in business or employment, or generalized xenophobia. Many of the terms in the discussion have their own entries. Because nickname is not a precise critical word, some scholars have taken up the term ethnophaulism for “ethnic slur,” coined by A.A. Roback in 1944. However, because of its opaqueness, it has not achieved general currency.
