schvartze

[ shvahr-tsuh; English shvahrt-suh ]

noun

, Yiddish: Usually Disparaging and Offensive.

1. a term used by some Jewish people to refer to a Black person.

Sensitive Note

Schvartze was used through the 1960s (and even later by the older generation) to refer specifically to a Black housekeeper or servant. The term was not always used contemptuously; in fact, the Yiddish noun is derived from a merely descriptive adjective meaning "black" (German schwarz ). However, schvartze has been categorized by some as an inside “code word,” a less transparent equivalent of nigger, and so the term has fallen into disrepute.

Word History and Origins

Origin of schvartze¹

First recorded in 1960–65; from Yiddish shvarts “black”; compare German schwartz