| Summary: | Newfie "Newfie" is an insulting label A letter to The Evening Telegram on Aug. 16, 1989 brought up a point that has been bothering me for some time now. The writer, a newcomer to Newfoundland, questions the use of the words "_Newfie_" vs. Newfound- lander. He wonders whether "New- fie" is used by any particular class or in oral as opposed to written lan- guage. I would suggest that the an- swer to both questions is a definite no. The word "Newfie" appears to have been coined by American serv- icemen during the Second World War. My mother has been a New- foundlander for 75 years and assures me that the word was absolutely un- known before the 1940s. Even then, it had a very limited usage _(i.e., Bul- let/Screech)_ and was generally re- garded as a putdown. It is only in the very recent past that it has become widely used. It is particularly dis- tressing to me to notice its use creep- ing into this newspaper, as well as other media, to the point where it has become almost interchangeable with Newfoundlander. The writer states quite correctly, that he has encountered Newfound- landers who describe themselves as _"Newfies"_ without any pejorative connotation. It is no wonder, consid- ering how we have been bombarded by the word. But what are the under- lying connotations of the term? One need only visit any souvenir shop for the not-too-subtle answer - "New- fie" rolling pins that are square; "Newfie" mugs with the handle on the inside - the examples go on ad nauseum. The message is loud and clear: to be a _"Newfie"_ is to be an idiot. Does any other society or group of people actively try to promote them- selves as being stupid? Where did that notion originate anyway? I don't know, but I strongly suspect it is a post-1949 phenomenon. The author of the letter also says that he has been rebuked as pompous for using the word Newfoundlander. I find that impossible to believe. No Newfoundlander would ever object to being referred to as such. A good number - myself included - take great exception to the insulting and ...
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