From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Creole \Cre"ole\ (kr?"?l), n. [F. cr?ole, Sp. criollo, from an
American negro word, perh. a corruption of a Sp. criadillo,
dim. of criado servant, formerly also, child, fr. L. creatus,
p. p. of creare to create. Cf. {Create}.]
One born of European parents in the American colonies of
France or Spain or in the States which were once such
colonies, esp. a person of French or Spanish descent, who is
a native inhabitant of Louisiana, or one of the States
adjoining, bordering on the Gulf of of Mexico.
[1913 Webster]
Note: "The term creole negro is employed in the English West
Indies to distinguish the negroes born there from the
Africans imported during the time of the slave trade.
The application of this term to the colored people has
led to an idea common in some parts of the United
States, though wholly unfounded, that it implies an
admixture greater or less of African blood." --R.
Hildreth.
[1913 Webster]
Note: "The title [Creole] did not first belong to the
descendants of Spanish, but of French, settlers, But
such a meaning implied a certain excellence of origin,
and so came early to include any native of French or
Spanish descent by either parent, whose nonalliance
with the slave race entitled him to social rank. Later,
the term was adopted by, not conceded to, the natives
of mixed blood, and is still so used among themselves.
. . . Besides French and Spanish, there are even, for
convenience of speech, 'colored' Creoles; but there are
no Italian, or Sicilian, nor any English, Scotch,
Irish, or 'Yankee' Creoles, unless of parentage married
into, and themselves thoroughly proselyted in, Creole
society." --G. W. Cable.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Creole \Cre"ole\ (kr?"?l), a.
Of or pertaining to a Creole or the Creoles.
[1913 Webster]
Note: In New Orleans the word Creole is applied to any
product, or variety of manufacture, peculiar to
Louisiana; as, Creole ponies, chickens, cows, shoes,
eggs, wagons, baskets, etc.
[1913 Webster] Creolean
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
Creole
adj 1: of or relating to a language that arises from contact
between two other languages and has features of both;
"Creole grammars"
2: of or relating to or characteristic of native-born persons of
French descent in Louisiana; "Creole cooking"
n 1: a person of European descent born in the West Indies or
Latin America
2: a person descended from French ancestors in southern United
States (especially Louisiana)
3: a mother tongue that originates from contact between two
languages
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