18+ General Discussion Forum

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/06/03/pirate_pejorative/

Here's a link to the article that got me to ask the question in the first place. Swarthy does mean dark skinned, which in this day and age, should not have any positive or negative connotations associated with it. But I recall reading older references where it definitely meant to convey something unsavory. In pre-Johnny Depp days, an swarthy pirate was not only deeply tanned, but probably rough skinned, rheumy eyed, and smelling of rum. A swarthy stranger might be a foreign anarchist of the Sacco-and-Vanzetti persuasion, a Jew, or both. I almost never use the word because of the racist associations I have with it.

The author of the article cites examples like I did, but also shows where swarthy has recently been used in a positive way.

Marcia

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