There seems to be a few different origins of the "N" word. The Spanish word negro originates from the Latin word niger , meaning black. In English, negro or neger became negar and finally what we refer to as the ‘N’ word today, most likely under influence of French nègre (also derived from the Latin niger ).

In the United States , the ‘N’ word was not always considered derogatory, yet was used by some as merely denotative of black, as it was in other parts of the English-speaking world. In the United Kingdom and other parts of the English-speaking world, the word was often used to refer to people of Pakistani or Indian descent, or merely to darker-skinned foreigners in general. The ‘N’ word eventually was used to refer to slaves throughout the 1700's and 1800's.   Previous to this time the label "Moor" was given to men & women of color (Moor was also used more generally in Europe to refer to anyone of Arab or African descent).

Dr. David Pilgrim and Dr. Phillip Middleton, Professors at Ferris State University noted in their paper on the origins of the "N" word, thatthe mispronunciation of the word Niger by Southern Slave Masters probably gave way to the "N" word. At the same time, the Slave Masters' feelings of superiority over the Africans they deemed their cattle grew into contempt and thus the "N" word was born. The definition of the "N" word was a lazy person without any self respect, no regard for family, ignorant, stupid, slow moving, didn’t speak proper English and had childlike qualities. The cartoons of Black people in the early 1900's demonstrate this. The "N" word was documented as first being officially used in 1786 although it most likely had been used for much longer.

In the 1800s, as the ‘N’ word began to acquire the meaning it holds today, the term "Colored" gained popularity as a kinder alternative to negro and associated terms. The name of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People reflects the preference for this term at the time of the NAACP's founding in 1909.

By the early 1900's the word "Black" began to appear in print in reference to African Americans. The term was rejected by the community because of its negative connotations and in 1906 Booker T Washington endorsed the term "Negro". The "N" word, once a common label used for African American people, then officially became a derogatory epithet. Almost a century later, in 2003, the NAACP took action and successfully influenced Merriam-Webster to change the definition of the ‘N’ word in the dictionary so that it would no longer mean African Americans.

As the late 1960's approached so did a surge of ethnic pride and the term "Black" was rebirthed and taken on by the African American community as positive. The Black Power Movement proclaimed "Black is Beautiful".   The followers of this movement called each other "Brother and Sister" denouncing the use of the "N" word.

Eventually, ‘Black’ became the preferred term in English in the late 1960s, and this continues to the present day. In the U S, this has been displaced by African American, at least in politically correct usage; this resembles the term Afro-American that was in vogue in the early 1970s. In any event either term, African American or Black, continues to be used widely and are both considered acceptable.

Reference Links:

Wikipedia – www.wikipedia.org

www.abolishthenword.com (You’ve got to check this site out!) 

                 This Myth has been BUSTED!