“Beat Back the Hun!”: How an Act of ‘Self’-construction was Turned into an Exemplary Case of ‘Othering’

Abstract

To call Germans “Huns”, or collectively, “the Hun”, in Britain today counts as an offensive utterance, and the specific lexical item Hun in this meaning a dysphemism. In current usage, it only occasionally resurfaces in tongue-in- cheek statements, often related to football. The term Hun also features as a citation (and often as a good punning opportunity for headlines) in articles that discuss anti-German incidents and statements and relate them to lingering resentments from World Wars I and II. What gives the Hun nickname such an enduring appeal as an anti-German invective, even if it is used mainly mockingly these days? Should it be regarded as a metaphor, given that its nonfigurative reference to an ancient Asian people is transparent to most users?