N***A: Black girl explains 'new meaning' of word to Piers Morgan Trayvon Martin's friend Rachel Jeantel is asked by Piers Morgan if there anything she wished she'd said on the stand, this was her reply. Rachel Jeantel explains to Piers Morgan how to spell certain words. Picture: CNN Source: Supplied Rachel Jeantel on new meaning of 'n***a' Says word changed spelling, not racist Anyone can use it A FRIEND of Trayvon Martin, the black teenager whose death sparked race riots in the US, has told a prominent white TV presenter how the culture around the word "n***a" has moved away from its historically racist connotations. Rachel Jeantal told CNN host Piers Morgan she wished she had used the word on the stand in the Zimmerman trial. At the weekend, George Zimmerman, who shot Martin while he was on neighbourhood watch, was acquitted of murder. She also explained that the jury had "old school" views. Well, the jury, they see their facts. My thoughts of the jury, they old, that's old school people. We in a new school, our generation, my generation," Ms Jeantal said. She followed that up with an explanation of why it's now socially acceptable to use the profanity "n***er," because it's moved towards a more friendly term with the spelling "n***a." The world say it's a racist word. Mind you, around the 2000s, they changed it around I think," she told the middle-aged expat English host. They started spelling it n-i-g-g-a. It means 'a male'. Seeking clarification, Morgan asked if that meant "a black male." Ms Jeantal said it was universal. Any kind of man. Chinese can say n***a. They can say that," she added. CNN host Piers Morgan. But n***ER (emphasising the ER), I'd advise you not to use that around black people, because they are not going to have it like that. She added it wasn't a word that belonged to black people, or young people, saying: "anyone... old people can use it too!" Ms Jeantal said other words could be changed around to suit different meanings, too, including "cracker," a word that was crucial in the Zimmerman trial. Martin allegedly referred to Zimmerman as a "creepy ass cracker" before he was shot. Morgan said: "Let's talk about 'creepy ass cracka'. People have said that that is a phrase used by black people, cracka, to describe a white person. Is that true? Ms Jeantal corrected him saying: "No, like I said... cracka... with an 'a' at the end. Right-wing US commentator Rush Limbaugh then jumped at the opportunity to use the taboo word on air on his own show, announcing he was now allowed to say "n***a." He said on The Rush Limbaugh Show: "So, n---a with an a on the end.... I think I can [say it] now. Isn't that the point? Because it's not racist. I could be talking about a male.