Backwoodser

/ˈbækwʊdzər/ noun

Definition

A person who lives in or comes from the backwoods; someone with rough or unsophisticated manners.

Etymology

From 'backwood' plus the agent suffix '-er.' Created in 19th-century American English with sometimes derogatory connotations, though it's also used neutrally.

Kelly Says

The word reveals class prejudice—educated city people used 'backwoodser' as an insult, yet backwoods people had survival skills, navigation abilities, and ecological knowledge that made cities look fragile by comparison.

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