[citation needed] The word is a derivation of Cush (כּוּשׁ Kūš), referring to the ancient Kingdom of Kush which was centered on the Upper Nile and Nubia (modern-day Sudan).
In biblical and historical usage, the term "Cushites" (Hamites) refers to individuals of East African origin (Horn of Africa and Sudan).
[1] 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.
[3][4][5] When William Shakespeare's Othello was first translated to Hebrew in 1874 by Isaac Salkinsohn, the hero of the play was named Ithiel the Cushite (איתיאל הכושי).
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.