schvartze

[ shvahr-tsuh; English shvahrt-suh ]

/ ˈʃvɑr tsə; English ˈʃvɑrt sə /

noun Yiddish: Often Disparaging.

a term used by some Jewish people to refer to a black person.

Nearby words

schutzstaffel, schuyler, schuyler, philip john, schuylerville, schuylkill, schvartze, schwa, schwaben, schwachman syndrome, schwag, schwalbe's ring

Also shvartze, schvartz·er

[shvahr-tsuh r; English shvahr-tser] /ˈʃvɑr tsər; English ˈʃvɑr tsər/.

Usage 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.