schvartze
[ shvahr-tsuh; English shvahrt-suh ]
/ ˈʃvɑr tsə; English ˈʃvɑrt sə /
noun Yiddish: Usually Disparaging and Offensive.
a term used by some Jewish people to refer to a Black person.
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Also shvartz·e [shvahr-tsuh; English shvahr-tsuh], /ˈʃvɑr tsə; English ˈʃvɑr tsə/, schvartz·er [shvahr-tsuhr; English shvahr-tser] /ˈʃvɑr tsər; English ˈʃvɑr tsər/ .
Origin of schvartze
First recorded in 1960–65; from Yiddish shvarts “black”; compare German schwartz
usage note for schvartze
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.
Words nearby schvartze
Schütz rule, Schutzstaffel, Schuyler, Schuylerville, Schuylkill, schvartze, schwa, Schwaben, Schwachman syndrome, schwag, Schwalbe's ring
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021