creole

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Definitions (17)

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  1. In the West Indies and Spanish America: Originally, a native descended from European (properly Spanish) ancestors, as distinguished from immigrants of European blood, and from the aborigines, negroes, and natives of mixed (Indian and European, or European and negro) blood.
  2. Loosely, a person born in the country, but of a race not indigenous to it, irrespective of color.
  3. In Louisiana: Originally, a native descended from French ancestors who had settled there; later, any native of French or Spanish descent by either parent; a person belonging to the French-speaking native portion of the white race. Many Spaniards of rank cast their lot with the Creoles [of Louisiana]. But the Creoles never became Spanish; and in society balls where the Creole civilian met the Spanish military official, the cotillon was French or Spanish according as one or the other party was the stronger. G. W. Cable, Creoles of Louisiana, xvi.
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Examples (50)

  • The poorer classes of creole, the frankly uneducated ones, are little more than savages, with all the half-pitiful, half-ludicrous ways of the latter. —  Diary of a Soldier of Fortune
  • Beside his own people, motley in character and costume--creole, Kentuckian, Indian, half-breed, hired trapper, and free trapper--he was surrounded by encampments of Nez Perces and Flatheads, with their droves of horses covering the hills and plains. —  The Adventures of Captain Bonneville
  • Jamaican speakers typically command a range of varieties from standard English to creole, and can move along the continuum depending on such factors as formality, familiarity with the listeners and so on. —  Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium - Recent changes [en]
  • Jamaican Creole is a textbook example of a post-creole continuum, where following the establishment of a creole, the language merges with the original 'lexifier' language that supplied most of the vocabulary. —  Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium - Recent changes [en]
  • The only negro was a little boy, about six years of age, dressed in a fantastic costume, who sat in a corner, apparently in a very sulky humour Madame de Fontanges was a creole, that is, born in the West Indies, of French parents. —  Newton Forster The Merchant Service
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Etymologies (1)

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  1. = Dutch kreool = German kreole = Danish kreol, from French créole = Portuguese crioulo = Italian creolo, from Spanish criollo, a creole; said to be a negro corruption of Spanish*criadillo, diminutive of criado, a servant, follower, client, literally one bred, brought up, or educated (see creat), past participle of criar, breed, beget, bring up, educate, literally create, from Latin creare, create: see create.
 

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