The Evolution of “Slut” “Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power” so says Gloria Naylor. She made this powerful observation in her essay “Mommy, What Does ‘Nigger’ Mean?” which clearly depicts how a single word, in this case “nigger”, can have several different connotations under different conditions. We all know the social definition of “nigger,” but Naylor sheds light on other definitions. Women use “my nigger” as a possessive term to describe their significant other. Also, as Naylor states, “the word was applied to a man who had distinguished himself in some situation that brought… approval for his strength.” She similarly depicts the word as “the pure essence of manhood.” She discovered that a word can mean several things based how it is said and the connotation of the word. Naylor’s exploration of these definitions persuaded me to delve deeper into my own social life and discover words which have multiple different connotations. In our society we use words and create knew meanings for them. Many of these transformed words passed through my mind, but one seemed to hold a stronger meaning than the rest. Slut. This word has been in my vocabulary for so …show more content…
It is sometimes used in the context when a girl kisses more than one guy, but isn’t actually dating someone. In this way the word “slut” does not actually take its original meaning. It connotes a playful attitude about how women may kiss multiple people. Another way the word “slut” has a playful connotation it when it is applied to normal habitual actions. If a girl reads several books at once her best friend might call her a “book slut.” In this way the word “slut” can be put behind several different terms. Over time slut loses its meaning of having several different intimate partners. Again, the term “slut” with these connotations is usually used between close friends, in personal