English
Etymology
Of unknown origin; possibly from the Korean ko-inline|í��êµ|Han-guk|Korea. May also be related to the term goo-goo, of Tagalog derivation, a derogatory slang for the local population which emerged during the w:Filipino-American War|Filipino-American War around 1900.
Noun
en-noun
- (US, derogatory, racial slur) A person from East or South-East Asia, in particular a Korean or a Vietnamese person.
Usage notes
In the US, gook refers particularly to a Vietnamese person in the context of the Vietnam War, and particularly to the Viet Cong. It is generally considered highly offensive, on a par with nigger. In a highly charged and nuanced incident, Senator John McCain? famously used the word publicly to refer specifically to his former captors, then apologized in deference to the Vietnamese community at large. See 1
This term first appeared in the USA media during the Korean War as an epithet for North Korean and Chinese soldiers, from common use among US soldiers. Use of the term to also refer to South Koreans, allies to United Nations soldiers (including the US military) came into disfavor and disrepute after the Korean War.
Folk etymology suggests that during the Korean War, young Korean children would point at US soldiers and shout "미êµ" (mee-gook), the Korean word for "America". Soldiers heard the word as "Me Gook", as if the children were defining themselves as "Gooks". The soldiers proceeded to use that term to refer to the Koreans. The word êµ (å��, gook) itself simply means "country"; ë¯¸êµ (mee-gook) meaning beautiful country, and í��êµ (Hangook) meaning Korean Country.
Translations
Swedish: guling
Category:Unknown etymology
Category:Ethnic slurs
ru:gook
vi:gook
zh:gook
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