Cushi

The word Cushi or Kushi (Hebrew: כּוּשִׁי Hebrew pronunciation: [kuˈʃi] colloquial: [ˈkuʃi]) is racial terminology generally used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to a dark-skinned person of African descent, equivalent to Greek Αἰθίοψ "Aithíops".^{[citation needed]}

Moses and his Ethiopian wife Zipporah (Mozes en zijn Ethiopische vrouw Sippora). Jacob Jordaens, c. 1650

Etymology and biblical use

The word is a derivation of Cush (כּוּשׁ‎ Kūš), referring to the ancient Kingdom of Kush which was centered on the Upper Nile and Nubia (modern-day Sudan). Mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, Cushites are considered descendants of Noah's grandson, Cush the son of Ham. In biblical and historical usage, the term "Cushites" (Hamites) refers to individuals of East African origin (Horn of Africa and Sudan).^[1]

Modern use

In early Modern Hebrew usage, the term Cushi was used as an unmarked referent to a dark-skinned or red-haired person, without derogatory implications.^[2] For example, it is the nickname, or term of endearment, of the Israeli commando of Yemenite extraction, Shimon "Kushi" Rimon (b. 1939).^[3][4][5] When William Shakespeare's Othello was first translated to Hebrew in 1874 by Isaac Salkinsohn, the hero of the play was named Ithiel the Cushite (איתיאל הכושי‎).^[6]

In contemporary usage, the term can be regarded as an ethnic slur depending on context. Though it has been compared to usage of the term nigger in the United States, this is not an accurate comparison.^[1][7][8] Ethiopian migrants to Israel began identifying the term as a slur in the 1990s, at which point most Israelis stopped referring to Ethiopians with the term.^[1] However, cushi continued to be used in reference to non-Ethiopian people of African descent. This usage is generally non-derogatory; both Israelis in general and Ethiopian migrants in particular use the term in this non-derogatory manner.^[1] Whether a particular use of the term is derogatory can also be determined in part based on emphasis. If the first syllable is emphasized (CU-shi), then the usage is more likely derogatory. If the second is emphasized (cu-SHI), then it is less likely to be negative.^[7] As the negative uses of the term have become more widely recognized, the general use of the term has decreased.

In 2016, Hasidic singer Mordechai Ben David attracted controversy after a video taken at his December 28 concert in Jerusalem, wherein he referred to US President Barack Obama as a kushi, was circulated online.^[9][10]

See also

• Cushite woman [he] on Hebrew Wikipedia
• Cushitic languages
• Racism in Jewish communities
• Schvartze
• Zipporah, wife of Moses, depending on interpretation described as "Cushite" in the Bible