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The term "Brit" popped up a couple of times in the recent discussions of fictional eponyms, and I found myself wondering: didn't this term
start out as a pejorative? No dictionary that I've checked (American
Heritage, Encarta; Webster's 3d Int'l Unabridged does not list it!)
indicates this, but I was wondering if anyone can confirm that.
Thanks
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Carpal Tunnel
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OED has it as colloquial for Briton or Britisher.
no mention of a pejorative sense.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dunno, Mananan, but welcome aBoard. This isn't all that helpful, but: Britain
1297, Breteyne, from O.Fr. Bretaigne, from L. Britannia, earlier Brittania, from Brittani "the Britons" (see Briton). The O.E. was Breten-lond. If there was a Celt. name for the island, it has not been recorded.
British
O.E. Bryttisc "of or relating to ancient Britons," from Bryttas "natives of ancient Britain" (see Briton). First record of British Isles is from 1621.
Briton
Anglo-Fr. Bretun, from L. Brittonem (nom. Britto, misspelled Brito in MSS) "a member of the tribe of the Britons," from *Britt-os, the Celtic name of the Celtic inhabitants of Britain and southern Scotland before the 5c. Anglo-Saxon invasion drove them into Wales, Cornwall, and a few other corners. Only in historical use after O.E. period; revived when James I was proclaimed King of Great Britain in 1604, and made official at the union of England and Scotland in 1707. etymologyI checked an Aussie slang dictionary, thinking the pejorative meaning may have been there due to all the prisoners, but it wasn't listed.
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Bloody Brit(s) is pejorative, (the only way i ever heard brit was with the adjective Bloody and that was quickly followed by an admonition to watch "Language!")
but i don't think Brit all on its own is insulting. of course, some times the tone of voice might indicate that the Bloody is there, just not quite vocalized.
Last edited by of troy; 12/15/05 03:37 PM.
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And, yes. Ms. of troy is of Irish stock. As for moi, it's a handy abbreviation. I've finally gotten over the fact that some of y'all Brits still want to call us Yanks! 
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Quote:
And, yes. Ms. of troy is of Irish stock.
As for moi, it's a handy abbreviation. I've finally gotten over the fact that some of y'all Brits still want to call us Yanks!
oh, there are *other terms in wide circulation...! 
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enthusiast
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I think Brit is short for the old fashioned Britisher. I don't see how it is pejorative. But "whingeing Pom" [1] is. What about: "Sassenach; Redcoat. Old John Bull" ? Quote:
[1] Pommy (also Pommie) noun ( pl. -mies) Austral./NZ. informal offensive a British person. ORIGIN early 20th cent.: of unknown origin; said by some to be short for pomegranate, as a near rhyme to immigrant, but evidence is lacking
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Last edited by Homo Loquens; 12/16/05 11:48 AM.
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addict
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"Sassenach" may not be pejorative, although I think it's a good indication that it is only used by Scots and refers largely to people seen as opressors. I don't know the meaning of it - someone on this board certainly will!
"Redcoat" I don't think is pejorative. It's just descriptive of the uniform - like the Civil War use of "Blues" and "Grays". (I wanted to type "Greys", but probably that "brit" spelling is wrong in the U.S.!)
"John Bull" is like "Uncle Sam" - probably shifts between pejorative and non depending on the speaker. If one were expressing anti-British sentiment and referring to "John Bull" then it could be dismissive or pejorative. If one were speaking admiringly, the opposite.
I hold right of abode in Britain because my father was born in Northern Ireland. One British immigration officer told me it made me "a Brit by descent". I doubt, therefore, that "Brit" could be pejorative.
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Quote:
"Sassenach" may not be pejorative, although I think it's a good indication that it is only used by Scots and refers largely to people seen as opressors. I don't know the meaning of it - someone on this board certainly will!
I derives from the word Saxon. Just a Gaelic way of pronouncing it with a suffix indicating nationality.
And I think you've hit upon the factor that makes a term perjorative. If the people to whom it applies are disliked, for whatever reason, the term will become perjorative. This is why attempts to replace perjorative terms with non-perjorative ones ultimately fail. The new term eventually becomes perjorative just by being used in reference to the people who are disliked. The only solution is to stop disliking them. Not always so easy.
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Quote:
Buck Mulligan showed a shaven cheek over his right shoulder.
God, isn't he dreadful? he said frankly. A ponderous Saxon. He thinks you're not a gentleman. God, these bloody English! Bursting with money and indigestion. Because he comes from Oxford. You know, Dedalus, you have the real Oxford manner. He can't make you out. O, my name for you is the best: Kinch, the knife-blade [...] Chuck Loyola, Kinch, and come on down. The Sassenach wants his morning rashers.
--Ulysses, 1922 (Telemachia, Telemachus)
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