Newfie
{{Short description|Slang term for someone from Newfoundland}}
{{italic title}}
{{for|the dog|Newfoundland dog}}
Newfie (also Newf or sometimes Newfy) is a colloquial term used by Canadians and others for someone who is from Newfoundland. Many Newfoundlanders consider "Newfie" a slur first used by American and Canadian military forces stationed on the island. It is also the shortened name of the Newfoundland dog breed. The term is also associated with jokes from the mid-to-late 20th century that depicted "Newfies" as foolish, in particular when told in Canadian French, leading to a belief in the derogatory nature of the term.{{cite web|url=http://www.dictionary.com/browse/newfie |title=Newfie Definition & Meaning |publisher=Dictionary.com |date= |accessdate=2022-05-13}}King, R. and Clarke, S. (2002), Contesting meaning: Newfie and the politics of ethnic labelling. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 6: 537–558. doi: 10.1111/1467-9481.00200
Usage
During the Second World War, sailors on convoy duty nicknamed St. John's Newfiejohn.{{cite web |last=Dunlop |first=Daniel T |title=The Sinking of U90 |url=http://www.noac-national.ca/article/Dunlop/The_Sinking_of_U90.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070627153417/http://www.noac-national.ca/article/Dunlop/The_Sinking_of_U90.html |archive-date=2007-06-27 |access-date=2008-06-25}}
The first edition of the Gage Canadian Dictionary, published in 1983, and the second edition of the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, published in 1987, both include usage notes describing the term 'Newfie' as offensive. However, neither the second edition of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, published in 2004, nor the current edition of the Dictionary of Newfoundland English, published in 1998, make such a mention."[http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/azindex/pages/3053.html Newfie]". [http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/ Dictionary of Newfoundland English], 2nd ed. 1998. Story, G. M.; Kirwin, W. J.; & Widdowson, J. D. A., eds. {{ISBN|978-0-8020-6819-4}}. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
In March 2006, an Edmonton police officer was disciplined for using the word Newphie{{sic}} to describe the apprehension of an individual under the Mental Health Act.{{Cite web |date=2006-03-12 |title=edmontonsun.com - Edmonton News - N-word draws flak |url=https://edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2006/03/12/1484123-sun.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205071851/http://www.edmontonsun.com:80/News/Edmonton/2006/03/12/1484123-sun.html |archive-date=2008-02-05 |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=Edmonton Sun}}
See also
- Newfie Bullet, an ironic nickname created by U.S. military personnel serving at bases in Newfoundland during the Second World War for a notoriously slow passenger train operated on the island.
- Newfie Screech, a type of rum bottled in Newfoundland.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mine-and-Your-Town/Awareness-The-Word-Newfie-and-its-Implications/16161143422 Awareness/Education: Implications of the use of the word 'Newfie']
- [http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=28147873232 Discussion on Implications of the word 'Newfie']
- [http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sandra/nfsay.htm Newfoundland] [http://www.wordplay.com/tourism/folklore/newfwords.html sayings and] [http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_nov2003/Newfie_English.htm expressions]
- [http://www.homesicknewfies.com HomeSickNewfies]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090522215715/http://www.putitinyourears.com/051 A comedy podcast discussing 'Newfie' with a Newfoundlander]
- [http://www.UpAlong.org From Newfoundland to UpAlong.org]