An offensive slur for a Black person (this word is now considered extremely offensive and derogatory).
From dark + -ey (diminutive suffix). Emerged in 19th century America as a racial slur, formed by combining the adjective 'dark' with a suffix, making it dehumanizing.
This word is a painful example of how language can weaponize simple descriptors—by adding a suffix to 'dark,' English speakers created a term designed to dehumanize and mock.
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