It is widely recognized that the attributive use of the noun Jew, in phrases such as Jew lawyer or Jew ethics, is both vulgar and highly offensive. In such contexts Jewish is the only acceptable possibility. Some people, however, have become so wary of this construction that they have extended the stigma to any use of Jew as a noun, a practice that carries risks of its own. In a sentence such as There are now several Jews on the council, which is unobjectionable, the substitution of a circumlocution like Jewish people or persons of Jewish background may in itself cause offense for seeming to imply that Jew has a negative connotation when used as a noun.
- Kleinedler, Steven; Spitz, Susan; et al., eds. (2005). "Jew". The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style. Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 269. ISBN 978-0-618-60499-9.
Use the word, unvarnished, in references to people of Jewish heritage or religion. Phrases like member of the Jewish faith strike some Jews as unwarranted euphemisms.
- Siegal, Allan M.; Connolly, William G. (2015). "Jew(s).". The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage: The Official Style Guide Used by the Writers and Editors of the World's Most Authoritative News Organization (5th ed.). Three Rivers Press. p. 166. ISBN 978-1-101-90544-9. OCLC 90851739.
“Jew” is not a slur. It is a descriptor most Jews will use without a moment’s thought. It’s just who we are. Derived from the Hebrew word “Yehuda,” the name of the foremost of the 12 tribes of Ancient Israel, it’s a cognate of the Hebrew word “yehudi,” which means Jew or Jewish.
It is widely recognized that the attributive use of the noun Jew, in phrases such as Jew lawyer or Jew ethics, is both vulgar and highly offensive. In such contexts Jewish is the only acceptable possibility. Some people, however, have become so wary of this construction that they have extended the stigma to any use of Jew as a noun, a practice that carries risks of its own. In a sentence such as There are now several Jews on the council, which is unobjectionable, the substitution of a circumlocution like Jewish people or persons of Jewish background may in itself cause offense for seeming to imply that Jew has a negative connotation when used as a noun.
- Kleinedler, Steven; Spitz, Susan; et al., eds. (2005). "Jew". The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style. Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 269. ISBN 978-0-618-60499-9.
Use the word, unvarnished, in references to people of Jewish heritage or religion. Phrases like member of the Jewish faith strike some Jews as unwarranted euphemisms.
- Siegal, Allan M.; Connolly, William G. (2015). "Jew(s).". The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage: The Official Style Guide Used by the Writers and Editors of the World's Most Authoritative News Organization (5th ed.). Three Rivers Press. p. 166. ISBN 978-1-101-90544-9. OCLC 90851739.
“Jew” is not a slur. It is a descriptor most Jews will use without a moment’s thought. It’s just who we are. Derived from the Hebrew word “Yehuda,” the name of the foremost of the 12 tribes of Ancient Israel, it’s a cognate of the Hebrew word “yehudi,” which means Jew or Jewish.