Cushi
The word Cushi or Kushi ( colloquial: ) is generally used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to a dark-skinned person of African descent, equivalent to Greek ""Aithíops"". Etymology and biblical use. The word is a derivation of "Cush" ( "Kūš"), referring to the ancient Kingdom of Kush which was centered on the Upper Nile and Nubia (modern-day Sudan). Mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, Cushites are considered descendants of Noah's grandson, Cush the son of Ham. In biblical and historical usage, the term "Cushites" (Hamites) refers to individuals of East African origin (Horn of Africa and Sudan). Modern use . In early Modern Hebrew usage, the term "Cushi" was used as an unmarked referent to a dark-skinned or red-haired person, without derogatory implications. For example, it is the nickname, or term of endearment, of the Israeli commando of Yemenite extraction, Shimon "Kushi" Rimon (b. 1939). When William Shakespeare's "Othello" was first translated to Hebrew in 1874, the hero of the play was named "Ithiel the Cushite" (). In 2012, Kiryat Arba's Chief Rabbi Dov Lior referred to US President Barack Obama as a "kushi" of the West. In contemporary usage, the term can be regarded as an  ethnic slur, akin to the American usage of "Nigger". In 2016, hasidic singer Mordechai Ben David attracted controversy after a video taken at his December 28 concert in Jerusalem, wherein he referred to US President Barack Obama as a kushi, was circulated online.