Revision 66968000 of "Ofay" on enwiki

'''Ofay''' is a [[race|racial]] slur; [[slang]] term for a white person.  The term first appeared in print in the early 20th century, and may be older still.<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/61/67/O0036700.html The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.  2000.]</ref>  Its origin is unclear.

At least two possible derivations point to the [[Atlantic slave trade]] and [[Nigeria]].  During the 17th through 19th centuries, European traders established coastal ports in present-day Nigeria for their increasing traffic in slaves destined for the Americas.  Thus, "Ofay" might derive from the [[Ibibio]] word "afia," which means "light-colored," and may have referred to European traders.  

"Ofay" might also come from the [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]] word "ofe," spoken in hopes of disappearing from danger such as that posed by European traders.

See [[List of ethnic slurs]] 

References: <references/>

[[Category:Slang]]
[[Category:Ethnic slurs]]