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The meaning of the word ‘hood’ may be a mystery to many, but it’s actually quite simple to use. It is a commonly used youth word and comes from rap and hip-hop.
Meaning and origin of the youth word ‘hood’
The meaning of the word ‘hood’ can easily be misinterpreted, because ‘hood’ is also the English word for a cap or bonnet.
- ‘Hood’ is an abbreviation of the English word neighborhood, which means neighborhood or district in German.
- In the US, the abbreviation was coined in the 1970s and 1980s, primarily in African American communities, to refer to their own residential area. The term had a double meaning: on the one hand, it stood for belonging and community, and on the other hand, it stood for social problems in poorer neighborhoods where poverty, violence, and discrimination were part of everyday life.
- In addition to youth slang, the word is also frequently used in American hip-hop and rap.
- However, when song lyrics refer to the ‘hood’, they are not referring to a friendly suburban neighborhood, but rather a neighborhood in a large city where people live in sometimes poor conditions.
- When ‘hood’ is used in youth language, however, it usually describes the area where you hang out with your friends and where you like to live.
- The “hood” stands not only for a geographical location, but also for a sense of identity and will to survive.
- “Hood” can therefore be used both positively—in the sense of pride and identity—and negatively—in the context of social pressure or conflict.
How to use the youth word correctly
The word ‘hood’ is often used in song lyrics and has evolved into a youth word.
- When someone sings “I come from the hood” in a song, it is often associated with a difficult childhood, because ‘hood’ describes a rough neighborhood. However, it usually also describes a connection to this area and the people who live there.
- If someone says “Let’s meet in the hood,” they mean in their neighborhood a place where they have met frequently before.
- “Digga, it was so lit in the hood yesterday” means that yesterday’s gathering in the area where you regularly hang out was a lot of fun.
- “I’m chilling in my hood” usually means, “I’m in my neighborhood with my people.”
- You can say “He’s the king in his hood” when someone is in charge in their neighborhood.
