LEWISBURG — A Bucknell University professor is examining the history and changing use of one of the most controversial words in American English…the N-word. The university says linguist Hiram Smith’s new book will be released September 1 by Georgetown University Press.
Smith studied historical records, including more than 2,300 interviews with formerly enslaved people, along with modern social media and other contemporary examples. He says the research challenges assumptions that some current uses of the word developed only recently.
Smith says his goal is not to endorse or condemn its use, but to provide linguistic and historical context. He will appear at several book-related events in Lewisburg and Williamsport this fall. There’s more at Bucknell.edu.
