Has a Canadian Slur Lost Its Sting?
Dr. Baker said he believed that young Newfoundlanders had reclaimed the term as a word they used to refer to themselves, a common sociological reaction among
discriminated groups, the way some use the word "queer." "Certainly, there was a mixed sense among the youth that I interviewed," Dr. Baker said.
By CRAIG S. SMITHJUNE 2, 2017
Newfoundland, the last of Britain’s North American colonies to join Canada, is enjoying newfound attention thanks to the hit Broadway musical "Come From Away."
But if you see the show, don’t expect to hear talk about "Newfies," a colloquial term for the island’s residents.
"Some said, ‘Yes, I could be offended,’ and others said they weren’t even offended by ‘Newfie’ jokes." Dr. Baker argues
that "Newfie" is an ethnophaulism, a derogatory word or expression used to describe a racial or ethnic group, because he believes that white Newfoundlanders are a distinct ethnicity.
Overton Colbourne said that I hate the word,
But when he talked to students at Memorial University in Newfoundland, where he earned his Ph.D., he found
that the term had become "context dependent," he said in a telephone interview, meaning that whether or not it is offensive depends on how it is used and by whom.
The show’s name is a Newfoundland vernacular phrase for "outsiders." Irene Sankoff, who wrote the musical with
David Hein, said Newfoundlanders in the production had made it clear that the term "Newfie" was not welcome.