What is the origin of the k-word?

[Ulli]

I am really curious about this. I have heard this word here so many times, but I never saw a natural connection between the k-word and Jews. So I looked it up on wikipedia and found there this half dozen of explanations. Some make more sense, some less.

The etymology of the term is uncertain. It may be an alteration of a common ending of the personal names of Eastern European Jews who emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century. The first recorded usage of the term is in 1904.[1][2]

A) According to Leo Rosten,
“    The k-word was born on Ellis Island when Jewish immigrants who were illiterate (or could not use Roman-English letters), when asked to sign the entry-forms with the customary 'X,'* refused, because they associated an X with the cross of Christianity, and instead made a circle. The Yiddish word for 'circle' is kikel (pronounced KY-kel), and for 'little circle,' kikeleh. Before long the immigration inspectors were calling anyone who signed with an 'O' instead of an 'X' a kikel or kikeleh or kikee or, finally and succinctly, kike.[3]    ”

 In the eyes of many European Jews, says author Kim Pearson, a cross was the sign of Christian discrimination from which they sought the refuge in the New World. According to Rosten, Jewish American merchants continued to sign with an 'O' instead of an 'X' for several decades, spreading the nickname "kike" wherever they went as a result. At that time kike was more of an affectionate term, used by Jews to describe other Jews, and only developed into an ethnic slur later on.[2]

B) In his book How the Irish Invented Slang: the Secret Language of the Crossroads, Daniel Cassidy suggests an alternative etymology. Cassidy notes that the Irish Language word Ciabhóg (pronounced k'i'og) was the general term used by the Irish and Irish-Americans to denote the payot of Orthodox Jews. The Irish word Ciabhóg means side-curl, which is what payot are.

C) Another possible etymology is that the term comes from the Greek word for circle, kyklos, and referenced the practice of circumcision.[citation needed]

D) According to "Our Crowd", by Stephen Birmingham, the term "kike" was coined as a derogatory putdown by the assimilated American German Jews to identify Eastrern-European Jews: "Because many Russian [Jewish] names ended in 'ki', they were called 'kikes'- a German Jewish contribution to the American vernacular. The name then proceeded to be co-opted by Gentiles as is gained prominence in its usage in society, and was later used as a demeaning Anti-Semitic slur.

E) Another proposed theory is that "kike" is a reference is Isaac; a common Jewish, biblical name.

F)“Kike” could also stem from the word “keek”, a Yiddish term referring to individuals who were hired by tailors and clothing manufacturers to spy on the new designs in production by their competitors.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kike

Wow - So much explanations. Which one is right?

[q_q_]

the word is so offensive, jews usually don't even discuss it!

though indeed, it is used here

infact, it's so offensive, even anti-semites almost never use it!

[mord]

I don'nt know so many explanations.. i use it to describe extreme left wing Jews who hate other Jews so much that they side with even communists and nazis as well as moslems to show their hate for Israel

[Ulli]

A is definitiv wrong, because all Jews were literate. And it was no problem to write the name in Hebrew letters.

B is possible because Irish people and Jews are the two groups who prefer to live in the great cities.

C is wrong, because the wasp majority of people Jews and non-Jews didn't understand ancient greek. So it is implausibly that this could become common.

D could be possible. A lot of people from Eastern Europe have the name ending of ki. I.e. my Grand-Grand mother on the mother's side was called Karminski.

E. Kike and Isaac are sounding not very similar.

F. This kind of profession -    industrial espionage - had for shure only a few followers. So number F is imo wrong.

[Ulli]

the word is so offensive, jews usually don't even discuss it!

though indeed, it is used here

infact, it's so offensive, even anti-semites almost never use it!

It was not my intention to disturb the peace of the forum. If it is not adequate, I will move the topic.

[mord]

the word is so offensive, jews usually don't even discuss it!

though indeed, it is used here

infact, it's so offensive, even anti-semites almost never use it!

It was not my intention to disturb the peace of the forum. If it is not adequate, I will move the topic.

Chaim uses the word for the evil leftist Jews i wish i could find more words

[mord]

Look here Pheasant           




http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu.BWfi1JLJ8APV9XNyoA?p=+karminski+jewish&y=Search&fr=yfp-t-305&ei=UTF-8

[Dr. Dan]

I would say intially C because at the time Jewish men were the only ones to be circumcised even as they dwelled amongst the Greeks originally.  As time went on, the meaning of the word, Kike, changed to be derogetory just as the word "niggre" is derogetory to blacks...really it goes from Negro to "niggre"... Negro is not an incorrect term...so the same goes with Kiklios to "kike". 

I used to think that kikes were sticks...just as Jews were like sticks and were turned to ashes in the gas chambers during the Shoah. 

[Rubystars]

Isaac is often shortened to the nickname Ike.

[q_q_]

Isaac is often shortened to the nickname Ike.

I don't know any jews that do that.

Infact the only Ike I have heard of is David Icke. Not jewish.

[Rubystars]

Isaac is often shortened to the nickname Ike.

I don't know any jews that do that.

Infact the only Ike I have heard of is David Icke. Not jewish.

I think it's more common in America.

[Ulli]

The great online dictonary leo translates "kike" with "Itzig" and describes the term as archaic and prejorative.

Source: http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&lang=de&searchLoc=0&cmpType=relaxed&sectHdr=on&spellToler=on&chinese=both&pinyin=diacritic&search=kike&relink=on

[mord]

Isaac is often shortened to the nickname Ike.

I don't know any jews that do that.

Infact the only Ike I have heard of is David Icke. Not jewish.

David icke he's a loon first class

[Dr. Dan]

Isaac is often shortened to the nickname Ike.

I don't know any jews that do that.

Infact the only Ike I have heard of is David Icke. Not jewish.

I know a bunch that do.

[Roadwarrior]

It was due to  the "ki" suffix ,    typically part of a Polish last name.

[Ulli]

Look here Pheasant           




http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu.BWfi1JLJ8APV9XNyoA?p=+karminski+jewish&y=Search&fr=yfp-t-305&ei=UTF-8

Mord, I asked my mother and she told me, that her grand grand mother was from impoverished Polish nobility. I think this is a legend. Everybody wants to belong to the nobility.

 

Althrough this, a lot of German peoples have ki names. The fathers side of her family was called "Hinz". They were farmers in Poland and later master carpenters in the old Hanseatic city of Lübeck.

[mord]

Look here Pheasant           




http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu.BWfi1JLJ8APV9XNyoA?p=+karminski+jewish&y=Search&fr=yfp-t-305&ei=UTF-8

Mord, I asked my mother and she told me, that her grand grand mother was from impoverished Polish nobility. I think this is a legend. Everybody wants to belong to the nobility.

 

Althrough this, a lot of German peoples have ki names. The fathers side of her family was called "Hinz". They were farmers in Poland and later master carpenters in the old Hanseatic city of Lübeck.

MY last name is very close to Polish nobility the man who stopped the  sandmonkeys near vienna

[Vito]

I remember Chaim said once that kike is the Yiddish word for self-hating Jew.

[mord]

I remember Chaim said once that kike is the Yiddish word for self-hating Jew.

yes thats what i use it for

[Ulli]

Look here Pheasant           




http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu.BWfi1JLJ8APV9XNyoA?p=+karminski+jewish&y=Search&fr=yfp-t-305&ei=UTF-8

Mord, I asked my mother and she told me, that her grand grand mother was from impoverished Polish nobility. I think this is a legend. Everybody wants to belong to the nobility.

 

Althrough this, a lot of German peoples have ki names. The fathers side of her family was called "Hinz". They were farmers in Poland and later master carpenters in the old Hanseatic city of Lübeck.

MY last name is very close to Polish nobility the man who stopped the  sandmonkeys near vienna

You mean king Pilsudzky? A great man. 

[mord]

Look here Pheasant           




http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu.BWfi1JLJ8APV9XNyoA?p=+karminski+jewish&y=Search&fr=yfp-t-305&ei=UTF-8

Mord, I asked my mother and she told me, that her grand grand mother was from impoverished Polish nobility. I think this is a legend. Everybody wants to belong to the nobility.

 

Althrough this, a lot of German peoples have ki names. The fathers side of her family was called "Hinz". They were farmers in Poland and later master carpenters in the old Hanseatic city of Lübeck.

MY last name is very close to Polish nobility the man who stopped the  sandmonkeys near vienna

You mean king Pilsudzky? A great man. 

Jan Sobieski

[Ulli]

Yes of course you are right. I mixed here something.

Pilsudki was the General.

[mord]

Yes of course you are right. I mixed here something.

Pilsudki was the General.

True     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_III_Sobieski

[muman613]

I remember Chaim said once that kike is the Yiddish word for self-hating Jew.

yes thats what i use it for

No, it is a derogatory term used to describe all Jews used by antisemites... I dont believe it is a yiddish word at all..

the only reference to yiddish, according to wiki page, is:

"
“Kike” could also stem from the word “keek”, a Yiddish term referring to individuals who were hired by tailors and clothing manufacturers to spy on the new designs in production by their competitors.
"

&

"
The Yiddish word for 'circle' is kikel (pronounced KY-kel), and for 'little circle,' kikeleh. Before long the immigration inspectors were calling anyone who signed with an 'O' instead of an 'X' a kikel or kikeleh or kikee or, finally and succinctly, kike.
"

It is an offensive word no matter who says it... I am strongly urging everyone to avoid using this word... It has offended several religious Jews who I have invited to read this site.

SEE ALSO : http://kpearson.faculty.tcnj.edu/Dictionary/kike.htm

Although any of these explanations could be truthful, only Rosten's (theory "a") has the weight of strong oral history in its favor. All parties agree that the term was originally used by German Jews who had emigrated to the United States earlier in the 19th century to describe their later-arriving Ashkenazi counterparts. In its origins, kike was used by Jews to describe other Jews who they felt were vulgar, and from there it became appropriated as part of the American vocabulary of slang. Kike is still used to this day by Jews to describe other Jews who they feel are low in character. www.jtf.org/why.use.term.kike.htm

The following examples can only begin to tell the tale of one of the most widespread racial slurs of American origin. Kike is certainly the king of the pejorative terms for Jews, beating out yid, hymie, sheeny, and hebe hands down. Unlike yid, for instance, kike has never lost its bite, and is not considered funny by contemporary Jews. Although Jewish authors will use the term in their writing in order to accurately represent the hateful speech of others, they would not jokingly refer to themselves by that moniker. Kike has spread all over the English-speaking world, and can be heard in Great Britain and Australia.

[Sparky]

the word is so offensive, jews usually don't even discuss it!

though indeed, it is used here

infact, it's so offensive, even anti-semites almost never use it!

Though freakazoid Muslim Michael Jackson didn't seem to have a problem using it in the lyrics of one of his songs:

Jew me, Sue me
Everybody do me
Kick me, kike me
Don't you black or white me

There was barely a ripple about this. But if a popular White artist ever used the N word in a song, the wrath of the MSM would descend upon them.