Richard Sandomir, “When Brain, Fingers and Vocal Cords Drop the Connection” (New York Times, Feb. 22, 2012)
Ben Zimmer, the language columnist for The Boston Globe, said the expression [“chink”] — about a rupture in something — comes from Middle English and has no Chinese roots. Its derogatory meaning developed in British-American usage in the late 19th or early 20th century.
He said that there were various explanations for how “chink” came to be related to China.
“But the whole idea that the phrase has double meaning is not new,” he said, adding that linguists talk about “taboo avoidance” to refer to not using an expression that has a negative meaning.
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