Cushi

The word Cushi or Kushi (Hebrew: כּוּשִׁי Hebrew pronunciation: [kuˈʃi] colloquial: [ˈkuʃi]) is generally used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to a dark-skinned person of African descent, equivalent to Greek Αἰθίοψ "Aithíops".

Moses and his Ethiopian wife Zipporah (Mozes en zijn Ethiopische vrouw Sippora). Jacob Jordaens, c. 1650
Look up כושי in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Etymology and biblical use

The word is a derivation of Cush (כּוּשׁ‎ Kūš), referring to the ancient Kingdom of Kush which was centered on the Upper Nile and Nubia (modern-day Sudan). Mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, Cushites are considered descendants of Noah's grandson, Cush the son of Ham. In biblical and historical usage, the term "Cushites" (Hamites) refers to individuals of East African origin (Horn of Africa and Sudan).[1]

Modern use

In early Modern Hebrew usage, the term Cushi was used as an unmarked referent to a dark-skinned or red-haired person, without derogatory implications.[2] For example, it is the nickname, or term of endearment, of the Israeli commando of Yemenite extraction, Shimon "Kushi" Rimon (b. 1939).[3][4][5] When William Shakespeare's Othello was first translated to Hebrew in 1874, the hero of the play was named Ithiel the Cushite (איתיאל הכושי‎).[6]

In 2012, Kiryat Arba's Chief Rabbi Dov Lior referred to US President Barack Obama as a "kushi" of the West.[7] In contemporary usage, the term can be regarded as an ethnic slur, akin to the American usage of Nigger.[1][8][9][10]

In 2016, hasidic singer Mordechai Ben David attracted controversy after a video taken at his December 28 concert in Jerusalem, wherein he referred to US President Barack Obama as a kushi, was circulated online.[11][12]

References
  1. Goulbourne, Harry (2001). "Who is a Cushi?". Race and Ethnicity: Solidarities and communities. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-22501-9.
  2. "חדשות - דעות - רוביק רוזנטל nrg - ...הזירה הלשונית: אל תקרא". www.makorrishon.co.il.
  3. "Blaze destroys Arava landmark".
  4. "News in Brief". 3 May 2002 – via Haaretz.
  5. "אחרי שאמרו לו שהכל נגמר, כושי רימון ניצח את הסרטן וחזר לחיים".
  6. אשכנזי, יאיר (15 March 2015). "איך נהפך אותלו של שייקספיר לאיתיאל הכושי?" – via Haaretz.
  7. Jerusalem Post Staff. "Rabbi Lior compares Obama to villain Haman". www.jpost.com/. Jerusalem Post.
  8. "Negro… please".
  9. "Is 'Kushim' a Racist Israeli Term for Blacks?".
  10. "No, an Israeli mayor did not just call black basketball players the N-word".
  11. Moore, Jack (2017-01-04). "Popular Jewish singer makes racial slur against Obama at Jerusalem concert". Newsweek. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  12. "Hasidic singer Mordechai Ben David slams Obama with racial slur at Jerusalem concert". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2022-03-02.

See also
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