Russian mat vs. English racial slurs

[zombie-laika.livejournal.com]

Whenever the topic of mat comes up, I'm told that it should be avoided at all costs. I've been given two reasons: 1) as a non-native speaker, it's extremely difficult to understand how to use mat; 2) mat is much stronger than its English equivalents. The second reason is harder for me to grasp than the first since I am completely numb to this type of quality in Russian.

The following question is to help me understand the strength of mat in Russian. How would you (native speakers) compare the strength of Russian mat to the strength of the word nigger in English? Note that I'm not asking for a comparison of meaning (obviously mat is sexual and nigger is racial), but instead for a comparison of the magnitude of the words' impacts.

Comments

[daskalidi.livejournal.com]

The main difference is that "nigger", as far as I understand, is always abusive, while mat sometimes tends to be a mere expression of some powerful emotion.

You must avoid mat mainly because it is usually thought to be a mark of not very high cultural level.

[todesser.livejournal.com]

I heard black men often address each to other as "niggers"

[todesser.livejournal.com]

I've read in "Gone with the wind" - black men often called other black men as "niggers" before the fall of Old South.

[remembering.livejournal.com]

I've also heard a black person calling another black person a nigger with the intention of being insulting; as if saying the person has no class/manners/sense.

[kart.livejournal.com]

This comment is mostly for russians in the community, as it's probably obvious to americans....

Nigger can be carry both negative and positive connotations, even when spoken among african americans. What it can mean depends very much on the greater context of the communication. Non-black americans can in trouble with nigger in the same way that non-native russian speakers can get into trouble with mat.

The meaning depends not only upon what the speaker intends. it is who the speaker is, the tone of the conversation, who the audience is, interpersonal relationships, nonverbal cues, etc...

My advice: say no worse than "блин" in face-to-face communications, but learn mat earnestly along with the rest of the russian language so that you can understand and perhaps use it when absolutely necessary.