THERE are several words or acrimony, which is considered uncomplimentary and is not used in the British parliament. In Guyana, two such words were banned from use in our parliament in the late 60s. They are “lie” and “stooge.” But there are other words quite derogatory and have a social stigma which are being used in Guyana and which psychologically insult an individual or exhibits the inability of the user to comprehend the appropriate language.
Three such words are “black man, coolie, and buck man.” The use of these words should become prohibited by an act of parliament.
Any person who is black be they, Arabs, black-skinned Caribs of Central America, dark-skinned Indians of Madras India or the black people of Africa are all black people. In Guyana, the user uses them to refer to a particular ethnic group that is not only derogatory but reveal a sick mentality.
The word “Coolie” (Brute Force) is probably a Chinese term for people who do physical labour. The Portuguese used the term for Chinese porters in their warehouses in China and in India 400 years ago. Our historian traces the word to be of Tamil language, where it means wages. But as it may a “Coolie” is a person who does manual, unskilled work and is paid by the hour. In Jamaica, the word was banned in the 1950s.
The North American “Deer” of which one species was known as the “Buck” became a community of exchange when the pilgrim Father landed in Plymouth, North America in 1620.
They had to trade with the Indians and as such one “Buck skin” was equal to a portion of a certain commodity. Some commodities were equal to several Buckskins. The American dollar is still referring to “Bucks.”
However, the North American Buck was very swift, as such, when the Europeans came to Guyana they discovered the dexterity and swiftness of the aborigines in the terrain and forests of Guyana, which is why this term “Buck Man” became appropriate to identify them.
Most unfortunately, the term “buckman” is often used in Guyana to assimilate the Amerindians and interior residents as inferior, unintelligent, not quite civilised and of low social standing.
Parents, guardians, social workers and teachers should try to inculcate in our society the correct terminology, all of which can be spectres of hope to enhance national cohesiveness.