mau-mau

Usage Discussion of Mau-Mau

The term mau-mau comes from the name of the Mau Mau, a militant African nationalist movement formed among the Kikuyu people of Kenya in the 1950s to advocate violent resistance to British rule. The English term reflects the historical British version of the actions of the Mau Mau, a version that does not acknowledge the grievances of the Kikuyu or the atrocities committed against them. In current English, mau-mau is used to suggest that a person's efforts and actions stem only from a desire to commit violent acts, or in milder use, to cause disruption or achieve some petty aim. When the term is used of a black person it is especially likely to be considered offensive.