Bigotry

A bigot is a person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles, or identities differing from his or her own, and bigotry is the corresponding state of mind. "Bigot" is often used as a pejorative term against a person who is obstinately devoted to prejudices even when these views are challenged or proven to be false or not universally applicable or acceptable.

The origin of the word "bigot" and "bigoterie" in English dates back to at least 1598, via Middle French, and started with the sense of "religious hypocrite", especially a woman.

Forms of bigotry may have a related ideology or world views.

Etymology

The exact origin of the word is unknown, but may have come from the German "bei" and "gott", or the English "by God". William Camden wrote that the Normans were first called bigots, when their Duke Rollo, who receiving Gisla, daughter of King Charles, in marriage, and with her the investiture of the dukedom, refused to kiss the king's foot in token of subjection, unless the king would hold it out for that purpose. And being urged to it by those present, Rollo answered hastily, "No by God", whereupon the King turning about, called him "bigot"; which name passed from him to his people.ref label|1728|1|^ This is likely fictional, however, as Gisla is unknown in Frankish sources. It is true that the French used the term "bigot" as an abuse for the Normans.ref label|Word|2|^.

The 12th century Anglo-Norman author Wace claimed that "bigot" was an insult that the French used against the Normans, but it is unclear whether it entered the English language via this route.ref label|Ayto|3|^

According to Egon Friedell, "bigot" is of the same root as "visigoth". In Vulgar Latin the initial v transformed into b (phenomenon today encountered in Iberian languages, such as Spanish language and Portuguese language; "visi" had truncated into "bi" in Vulgar Latin (phenomenon common in French and Portuguese). Certainly the Visigoths "did" behave in a manner which might have given birth to the expression, as they adopted harsh policies against all other religions after their conversion to Catholicism. [ [http://everything2.com/e2node/Anti-Jewish%2520legislation%2520in%2520early%2520medieval%2520Spain Anti-jewish legislation in Medieval Spain] ] [Martyrs of Córdoba]

Both the Spanish word "bigote" and the Portuguese word "bigode" mean moustache, probably because Visigoths had moustaches. Since both Normans and Goths were Germanic peoples, the Franks might well have referred to the Normans as "Visigoths" with the expression "bigot". This claim is also supported by the fact that the word "bigoth" for Visigoths appear in Medieval Latin language. fact|date=June 2008

Notes

#note label|1728|1|^1728 [http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/HistSciTech/HistSciTech-idx?type=turn&entity=HistSciTech000900240251&isize=L]
#note label|Word|2|^"Word Histories And Mysteries: From Abracadabra to Zeus". Houghton Mifflin Company. 2004. ISBN 0-618-45450-0. p 24.
#note label|Ayto|3|^Ayto, John. "Dictionary of Word Origins: The Histories of More Than 8,000 English-Language Words". New York: Arcade Publishing. 1990.Fact Check Responses

External links

* [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=bigot Etymology of the word bigot.]
* [http://www.kickoutbigotry.org/ Kick-Out Bigotry in Scottish football]