A surreal Star Wars “slur” seems to be making inroads into popular culture. It’s hardly surprising that some major Star Wars words have made their way into the dictionary; think “droid,” “lightsaber,” and “Jedi” as examples. But one 20-year-old word is suddenly making inroads into popular culture too.

The word is “clanker,” and it’s being used by people who aren’t happy about the way automation is becoming part of everyday life.

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In Star Wars, the word “clanker” is a derogatory term used to refer to droids. It was introduced in 2005’s Republic Commando game, and became commonly used in George Lucas and Dave Filoni’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series – which, of course, featured a galaxy-spanning conflict between clone and droid armies.

Is “Clanker” A Slur?

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Oddly enough, in the Star Wars galaxy, it’s probably true to call “clanker” a slur. Droids are (semi-)sentient in Star Wars, and those who don’t undergo periodic memory wipes develop much stronger personalities. But droids are also seen as lesser, with the Mos Eisley Cantina famously refusing to serve them.

Solo: A Star Wars Story featured one slightly bewildering subplot focused on droid rights, with Lando Calrissian partnering with a droid called L3-37 who championed this cause. The plot was unfortunately rather incoherent, because L3-37’s mind was uploaded into the Millennium Falcon, with no real ethical discussion.

In the real world, it looks as though “clanker” was originally used ironically, but is beginning to catch on. Some proponents of AI seem less than impressed.

Our Take On The Word “Clanker”

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It’s always fascinating to see the relationship between science-fiction and the perception of real-world technology. Isaac Asimov, for example, is generally seen as the father of robotics; in fact, he popularized the very word “robotics” in one 1941 short story. We now live in a world where so many sci-fi ideas have become real.

“Clanker” is a particularly curious one, though. The word originates from a galaxy in which there’s clearly conflict between organics and the technology that has become commonplace but uncomfortable; it therefore makes sense for “clanker” to begin to slip into popular culture, given that certainly reflects the current status quo.

It seems that, yet again, George Lucas’ Star Wars was ahead of the time.