Newfie
Encyclopedia
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
term used in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for someone who is from Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. It appears in a 1942 dictionary of slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
; at the time, 'Newfie' was used as often to refer to Newfoundland itself as to people from Newfoundland (who were also 'Newfiers').
The term 'Newfie' has been applied to the Newfoundland people, the proper demonym
Demonym
A demonym , also referred to as a gentilic, is a name for a resident of a locality. A demonym is usually – though not always – derived from the name of the locality; thus, the demonym for the people of England is English, and the demonym for the people of Italy is Italian, yet, in english, the one...
for whom is Newfoundlander(s). It also can refer to items of Newfoundland origin such as:
- Newfie Bullet, a nickname created by U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military personnel serving at bases in Newfoundland during the Second World War for a notoriously slow passenger train operated on the island. - Newfie ScreechNewfoundland ScreechNewfoundland Screech is 40% alcohol rum sold in Newfoundland. Screech is an award winning rum that, through clever marketing, has a name that was once just a colloquial term to describe almost any cheap, high alcohol spirit, including moonshine...
, a type of rumRumRum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
bottled in Newfoundland. - Relatedly, Newfiejohn was the name used by some sailors for St. John'sSt. John's, Newfoundland and LabradorSt. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
(the capital) while on convoy duty during the Second World War.
Usage
The first edition of the Gage Canadian Dictionary, published in 1983, and the second edition of the Random House Unabridged DictionaryRandom House Dictionary of the English Language
Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary is a large American dictionary, first published in 1966 as The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged....
, published in 1987, both include usage notes describing the term 'Newfie' as offensive. However, neither the second edition of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary
Canadian Oxford Dictionary
The Canadian Oxford Dictionary is a dictionary of Canadian English. First published by Oxford University Press Canada in 1998, it quickly became the standard dictionary reference for Canadian English. Until September 2008, Oxford maintained a permanent staff of lexicographers in Canada, led by...
, published in 2004, or the current edition of the Dictionary of Newfoundland English
Newfoundland English
Newfoundland English is a name for several accents and dialects thereof the English found in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Most of these differ substantially from the English commonly spoken elsewhere in Canada...
, published in 1998, make such a mention.
In March 2006, an Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
police officer was disciplined for using the word Newphie
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
In the 1970s, the Government of Alberta
Executive Council of Alberta
The Executive Council of Alberta is the cabinet of that Canadian province.Almost always made up of members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, the Cabinet is similar in structure and role to the Cabinet of Canada while being smaller in size...
added the term 'Newfie' to a list of words not allowed to be used on personalised licence plates
Vehicle registration plate
A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. The registration identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies the vehicle within the issuing region's database...
, reasoning that it was an ethnic slur and hateful. In 2006, a man from Newfoundland argued that it was also a source of pride, and fought to have the word removed from the list, and he eventually won. As of 2008, the ban has been lifted.