If you want to play word games, our nation’s capital is the place to be right now. From the legal definition of “sexual relations” to the bickering over just exactly what the word “is” really means, D.C. is where it’s at.

But the latest word game is one that actually has national significance, doesn’t involve a certain young woman named Monica and, unfortunately, means that we’ve reached a new low in the war of political correctness.

Last Wednesday, David Howard resigned from his job as an aide to Washington D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams — not because he wasn’t capable of handling the position, not because he and the mayor were in a dispute, not even because he was “alone” with an intern.

Howard resigned over a word he used in a conversation about a fund in the mayor’s office. The word he used is perfectly acceptable in intellectual speech and should in no way be offensive to anyone who understands the word.

So what did he say?

“Niggardly.”

Immediately, rumors spread through Washington that the mayor’s aide had used the word “nigger.” And almost as immediately, Howard, who is white, resigned, and Williams, who is black, accepted his resignation.

On Thursday, Howard insisted that the mayor did not force him to resign, and that his use of the word “niggardly” and subsequent reaction should serve as a warning to others.

“I would hope that his will be a red flag to us,” he said, “that we need to learn to perceive things from the other person’s point of view.”

Howard is right, in a way. We do need to look at society from varying vantage points, and we do need to be sensitive to the feelings and concerns of all different people, regardless of their races.

But there is a difference between sensitivity and stupidity.

True, “niggardly” is no longer in common use. But that doesn’t change the basic meaning of the word. For those of you who have never heard of this word before, here are some definitions.

Niggardly: adj. 1. grudgingly mean about spending or granting; begrudging. 2. provided in meanly limited supply.

Niggard: n. a meanly covetous and stingy person; miser.

The etymology of the word “niggard,” according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, is “Middle English, of Scandinavian origin” and is similar to Old Norse and Old English words of the same meaning.

And not only does the word “niggardly” not have anything to do with race or have any racist connotations, it was actually around before Americans ever fathomed the slave trade.

“Niggard,” according to the dictionary, is traced to the 14th century. “Niggardly” came to us in 1571.

The word “nigger,” according to the same dictionary, was taken from the French word negre or the Spanish word “negro.” It’s date is given as 1700.

Is there a difference in these two words?

Definitely.

Does that excuse David Howard’s use of the word?

Absolutely.

The word “niggardly” may no longer be commonly used or heard. But neither is the word “promulgate,” which means “to make known by open declaration or proclaim” and has approximately the same racial connotation as “niggardly.”

When it comes right down to it, no one should be forced into mincing his or her words simply for the sake of political correctness or to protect the feelings of someone who should know better.

“You hate to think you have to censor your language to meet other people’s lack of understanding,” said NAACP chairman Julian Bond, in criticism of Howard’s resignation.

In all honesty, I would probably never use the word “niggardly” in conversation, precisely because of the probability of being misunderstood. So in that regard, yes, Howard did use “poor judgment,” as Mayor Williams said, in using the word without thinking about it first.

But that’s no reason for Howard’s resignation.

As Bond said, “Seems to me the mayor has been niggardly in his judgment on this issue.”

Not only niggardly, but down right begrudging.

---

Sara Ziegler is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Sioux Falls, S.D., who really likes dictionaries.