> Does anyone know why? I know how the "N" word got started > but I never got "coon".
There are various "explanations" on the internet. Some examples: 1) From http://www.rsdb.net/ Probably refers to the Portuguese word for slave pens or barracks "baracoons". Could also have meaning as a shortening of "raccoon", as raccoons have a tendency to steal. 2) From http://parlorsongs.com/insearch/coonsongs/coonsongs.asp The term coon, did not originally appear as a racial slur term for a Black American, though over a short period of time it evolved into that. In early minstrel songs, the "coon" was reference to a raccoon, whose meat was supposedly preferred by plantation slaves. In many cases, for unknowing composers, the term "coon" became entangled with the 'possum, also thought to be a preferred food source. Apparently, many composers were not very familiar with American wildlife and could not tell the difference. As a result, "coon" and "possum" were often used in the same context. 3) From http://www.reporter-news.com/1998/2002/texas/nick0306.html Glenn Linden, a professor at Southern Methodist University, said the term originated in the 1800s and may have been used to compare chasing slaves to hunting raccoons. And you know ... there probably are more. (All ignorant, all offensive.) Lori ~
