Gook
Origin 1
Use traced to U.S. Marines in Philippines in early 20th century.
Pearson, Kim, "Gook".
Earliest recorded example is dated 1920.
Seligman, Herbert J., "The Conquest of Haiti", The Nation, July 10, 1920.
- Folk etymology suggests that during the Korean War, young Korean children would point at U.S. soldiers and shout "미êµ" (Miguk), the Korean word for "America". Soldiers heard the word as "me gook", as if the children were defining themselves as "gooks". The soldiers proceeded to use that term to refer to the Koreans. The word êµ (國, guk) itself simply means "country". This explanation ignores the fact that there are many examples of the word's use that pre-date the Korean War.
Full definition of gook
Noun
gook
(plural gooks)- (slang, vulgar, pejorative, offensive, ethnic slur) A person from the Far East, Oceania or Southeast Asia, in particular a Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, Korean person.
Usage notes
In the US, gook refers particularly to a Vietnamese person in the context of the Vietnam War, and particularly to the Viet Cong. It is generally considered highly offensive, on a par with nigger.