Jacob Jordaens - Moses and his Ethiopian wife Sephora

The word Cushi or Kushi ( colloquial: ) was racial terminology used in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' dark-skinned person of African descent, equivalent to Greek "'' Aithíops''". However, today the term is generally understood to be a racial slur for people of African descent.

Etymology and biblical use

The word is a derivation of ''Cush'' ( ''Kūš''), referring to the ancient Kingdom of Kush which was centered on the Upper Nile and Nubia (modern-day

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

). Mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, Cushites are considered descendants of Noah's grandson, Cush the son of Ham. In biblical and historical usage, the term "Cushites" ( Hamites) refers to individuals of

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

n origin ( Horn of Africa and

Modern use

In early

Modern Hebrew Modern Hebrew (, or ), also known as Israeli Hebrew or simply Hebrew, is the Standard language, standard form of the Hebrew language spoken today. It is the only surviving Canaanite language, as well as one of the List of languages by first w ...

usage, the term ''Cushi'' was used as an unmarked referent to a dark-skinned or red-haired person, without derogatory implications. For example, it is the nickname, or term of endearment, of the Israeli commando of Yemenite extraction, Shimon "Kushi" Rimon (b. 1939). When

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's '' Othello'' was first translated to Hebrew in 1874 by Isaac Salkinsohn, the hero of the play was named ''Ithiel the Cushite'' ().

Contemporary use

In contemporary usage, the term is regarded as an

racial slur The following is a list of ethnic slurs, ethnophaulisms, or ethnic epithets that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnic, national, or racial group or to refer to them in a derogatory, pejor ...

. Some believe intent can be determined in part based on emphasis. If the first syllable is emphasized (CU-shi), then the usage is more likely derogatory. If the second is emphasized (cu-SHI), then it is less likely to be intentionally offensive. However, the use of the word ''cushi'' (or ''kushi'') has generally become frowned upon, especially in academic spaces. Though it has been compared to the slur '' nigger'' in the United States, every usage of the word ''cushi'' was not initially considered to be derogatory by some people. When Ethiopian migrants to Israel began identifying the term as a slur in the 1990s, some made the conscious decision to discontinue its usage when referring to Israelis of Ethiopian descent. However, ''cushi'' continued to be used in reference to non-Ethiopian people of African descent. In 2016, Hasidic singer Mordechai Ben David attracted controversy after a video taken at his December 28 concert in Jerusalem, wherein he referred to US President Barack Obama as a ''kushi'', was circulated online.

References

{{reflist Anti-African and anti-black slurs Anti-black racism in Israel Ethiopian-Jewish culture in Israel Hebrew words and phrases

Etymology and biblical use

Modern use

Contemporary use

See also

References