Hindoo is an archaic spelling of Hindu, and one whose use today may be considered derogatory.[1] It may refer to:
- A word of Persian origin used to describe Indian immigrants and their descendants in the 19th century and early 20th century. See South Asian ethnic groups and Indian diaspora
- The religion of Hinduism, or the Indian people in general, but its use today may be considered offensive.[1]
- Hindoo (horse), a famous racehorse
- Hindoo style, a Western style of architecture in which Indian motifs are used
- Hindoo (ship) a Norwegian bark wrecked and beached on Dog Island, Florida
- Hindoo, California, alternate name of Hindu, California
- Charles Stuart (East India Company officer), an officer in the British Army in India, known as "Hindoo Stuart" due to his adoption of aspects of Hindu and Indian culture
Notes
- ^ a b 1. Herbst 1997, pp. 106–107 Quote: "Hindu, Hindoo A term borrowed from the Persian word Hindu ... Hindu is used today for an adherent of Hinduism, the common religion of India. ... Hindoo is listed in dictionaries as a variant spelling, but it is one that may lend itself to derogatory use."; 2. Dasgupta 1998, p. 121 Quote: "I faced repeated and constant racial slurs at school, from "nigger" to "injun" to "Hindoo." I, as one of the few children of color, was the equal opportunity target."; 3. University of South Dakota 1989, p. 27 Quote: "On the streets, too, simple slur words like "Hindoo" and "Paki" – used almost with impunity in the seventies – underscore how language includes or excludes."; 4. Rosenblatt 1999, p. 81 Quote: "For example, even though the majority of these newcomers were, in fact, practicing Hindus, by the mid-1960s, anti-immigration agitators had dropped the use of Hindoo as choice slur."; 5. Bhatia & Ram 2004 Quote: "Not being able to live up to the 'unattainable' images of 'Charlie's Angels' and the golden-girls of 'The Brady Bunch,' and facing 'repeated and constant' racial slurs at school such as 'nigger,' 'injun,' and 'hindoo,' combined with a lack of role models ..."; 6. Yule 1989 Quote: "I suspect the answer may be the long tradition of using that sort of 'simplified spelling' to indicate the speech of vulgar and low types of people. Nevertheless, there is a sort of visual onomatopoeia; a Hindu has dignity, while a Hindoo seems slightly ridiculous."
References
- Herbst, Philip (1997), The color of words: an encyclopaedic dictionary of ethnic bias in the United States, Intercultural Press, ISBN 978-1-877864-97-1
- Dasgupta, Shamita Das (1998), A patchwork shawl: chronicles of South Asian women in America, Rutgers University Press, ISBN 0-8135-2518-7
- University of South Dakota, English Department (1989), "link to article", South Dakota Review (University of South Dakota), http://books.google.com/books?id=gXs7AQAAIAAJ&q=hindoo#search_anchor
- Rosenblatt, Roger (1999), Consuming desires: consumption, culture, and the pursuit of happiness, Island Press, ISBN 1-55963-535-5
- Bhatia, Sunil; Ram, Anjali (2004), "Culture, hybridity, and the dialogical self: Cases of the South Asian diaspora", Mind, Culture, and Activity 11 (3): 224–240, DOI:10.1207/s15327884mca1103_4
- Yule, Valerie (1989), "Children's dictionaries: spelling and pronunciation", English Today 5 (1): 13–17, DOI:10.1017/S0266078400003655 .