Joined: 02 Feb 2006 {Posts: 3 } Location: Pasadena, CA
Posted: Fri 03 Feb 2006 21:20 Post subject: The Etymology of 'Mulato'
In his wonderful book, Africans and Native Americans: The Language of Race and the Evolution of Red-Black People (Champaign-Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1993), Native American professor Jack Forbes delineates the true etymology of the word 'mulato'.
According to Forbes' research, the word does not denote a person of mixed African and European descent who has a mule-like color. Nor does it suggest that the mulato is a cross-breed, like a mule. These somewhat derogatory interpretations seem to have come from an negrophobic Anglo perspective when 'mulatto' gained currency in English parlance and was subsequently entered into early English dictionaries.
On the contrary, the term "mulato" originates in the Arabic language, hnot from Spanish or Portuguese, and is derived from an Arabic word, "mualladun", which means, among subtle variations of the same general theme, "protected".
This is to say, the mixed race offspring of an Arab master and his African concubine-slave was regarded as protected under the father's name. In other words, the mixed race child was acknowledged and protected as the legitimate offspring of the ruling class father, and thus enjoyed a distinct status in Moorish Spain and Portugal.
This throws a very interesting new light on the word, doesn't it?
Posted: Fri 10 Feb 2006 17:54 Post subject: Re: The Etymology of 'Mulato'
trimulam wrote:
In his wonderful book, Africans and Native Americans: The Language of Race and the Evolution of Red-Black People (Champaign-Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1993), Native American professor Jack Forbes delineates the true etymology of the word 'mulato'.
According to Forbes' research, the word does not denote a person of mixed African and European descent who has a mule-like color. Nor does it suggest that the mulato is a cross-breed, like a mule. These somewhat derogatory interpretations seem to have come from an negrophobic Anglo perspective when 'mulatto' gained currency in English parlance and was subsequently entered into early English dictionaries.
On the contrary, the term "mulato" originates in the Arabic language, hnot from Spanish or Portuguese, and is derived from an Arabic word, "mualladun", which means, among subtle variations of the same general theme, "protected".
This is to say, the mixed race offspring of an Arab master and his African concubine-slave was regarded as protected under the father's name. In other words, the mixed race child was acknowledged and protected as the legitimate offspring of the ruling class father, and thus enjoyed a distinct status in Moorish Spain and Portugal.
This throws a very interesting new light on the word, doesn't it?
Trimulam
The word is muwallad, muwalladi, muwalladun. And the claim seems to be more rationalization and wishfull thinking more than anything.
Posted: Fri 10 Feb 2006 19:28 Post subject: Re: The Etymology of 'Mulato'
G-Man wrote:
Salsassin wrote:
The word is muwallad, muwalladi, muwalladun. And the claim seems to be more rationalization and wishfull thinking more than anything.
Kind of like people putting a positive slant on the word dougla?
Used to think so, but there is more to the story.
Salsassin wrote:
Dougla, a word used by people of the West Indies, especially in, but not limited to, Trinidad and Tobago, comes from dogala/dogla. According to the Sankshipt Hindi Shabdasagar (Abridged Hindu Dictionary), the word 'dogla' refers, in the first instance, to the "progeny (children) of inter varna marriage" and in the second instance acquires the connotation of 'bastard' meaning illegitimate.
Varna means category, primarily, and has been used for caste, class, occupation, color, etc. For instance, gour-varna means fair complexioned; kshatriya varna means warrior caste, etc. So, varna is a scientific concept, and any justice or injustice involved in its semantic usage is of a personal or societal nature. Another example is seen in crosses of leopards and tigers who were called doglas as well.
It was often used by people of Hindustani descent (i.e. East Indians) when referring to a person who was of mixed descent. This included anyone who was not a pure blooded member of a single caste. In the West Indies, as caste decreased in importance and intermarriage between castes became more common, this word became less used when referring to people as long as they were full-blooded Indians. However, "dougla" continued to be used frequently when referring to people of mixed African and Hindustani descent. This reflected widespread Hindustani opposition to interracial marriage. Their opposition was caused mainly by two factors: their desire to preserve Hindustani culture and racial tension between Blacks and Indians. Many Blacks also opposed interracial marriage because of anti-Indian prejudices. They, too, began referring to people of mixed race as "douglas".
Today, most people are unaware of the real meaning of "dougla". They simply think it means "a person of multi-racial descent". Despite its use by many as a racial or class slur, "dougla" is becoming increasingly used by people of mixed race to describe themselves.
Countries with significant populations of Hindustani and Africans(or their mutal descendants) that could fit the African/Hindustani mix definition of Dougla/Dogla/Dogala:
Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Martinique, Mauritius, Mozambique, Reunion, South Africa, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Suriname, Tanzania, The Seychelles, Trinidad, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and arguably even Fiji. Probably the USA and UK as well.
Posted: Fri 10 Feb 2006 20:05 Post subject: Re: The Etymology of 'Mulato'
Salsassin wrote:
G-Man wrote:
Salsassin wrote:
The word is muwallad, muwalladi, muwalladun. And the claim seems to be more rationalization and wishfull thinking more than anything.
Kind of like people putting a positive slant on the word dougla?
Used to think so, but there is more to the story.
Salsassin wrote:
Dougla, a word used by people of the West Indies, especially in, but not limited to, Trinidad and Tobago, comes from dogala/dogla. According to the Sankshipt Hindi Shabdasagar (Abridged Hindu Dictionary), the word 'dogla' refers, in the first instance, to the "progeny (children) of inter varna marriage" and in the second instance acquires the connotation of 'bastard' meaning illegitimate.
Varna means category, primarily, and has been used for caste, class, occupation, color, etc. For instance, gour-varna means fair complexioned; kshatriya varna means warrior caste, etc. So, varna is a scientific concept, and any justice or injustice involved in its semantic usage is of a personal or societal nature. Another example is seen in crosses of leopards and tigers who were called doglas as well.
It was often used by people of Hindustani descent (i.e. East Indians) when referring to a person who was of mixed descent. This included anyone who was not a pure blooded member of a single caste. In the West Indies, as caste decreased in importance and intermarriage between castes became more common, this word became less used when referring to people as long as they were full-blooded Indians. However, "dougla" continued to be used frequently when referring to people of mixed African and Hindustani descent. This reflected widespread Hindustani opposition to interracial marriage. Their opposition was caused mainly by two factors: their desire to preserve Hindustani culture and racial tension between Blacks and Indians. Many Blacks also opposed interracial marriage because of anti-Indian prejudices. They, too, began referring to people of mixed race as "douglas".
Today, most people are unaware of the real meaning of "dougla". They simply think it means "a person of multi-racial descent". Despite its use by many as a racial or class slur, "dougla" is becoming increasingly used by people of mixed race to describe themselves.
Countries with significant populations of Hindustani and Africans(or their mutal descendants) that could fit the African/Hindustani mix definition of Dougla/Dogla/Dogala:
Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Martinique, Mauritius, Mozambique, Reunion, South Africa, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Suriname, Tanzania, The Seychelles, Trinidad, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and arguably even Fiji. Probably the USA and UK as well.
Strange. I'm not aware of dougla being used outside of Trinidad and Guyana, especially the latter. In Jamaica it's not used. People just use half Indian, the more pejorative, half coolie, Indian (if the person looks Indian), mixed, or even black. My mother has never used the term to describe herself.
In the French Caribbean, Martinique and Guadeloupe, they employ another term to describe this racial combination, but I can't remember it at the moment.
In Suriname I doubt the two groups intermarry at all to any appreciable degree.
I seem to remember a member of Interracial Voice named "Kishi" who was a Jamaican-born, wannabe caste Hindu of mixed African, European and East Indian ancestry. He was trying to construct an East Indian Hindu indentity for himself. If memory serves, he rarely used the term too.
But I think your acquaintance whose name begins with "A" uses this term to describe herself, though her family is from Trinidad.
Hence I stated that these countries would have people that would fit the definition, not that they used them themselves. Actually Suriname has a decent population of admixed people from what i was told. Yeah, A calls herself that. She is Trini after all.
I found this early usage of mulata that confirms the use as an animal.
Quote:
Párrafo nº 1.
Página 124
del dicho anyo, se abía trobado en la ciudat de Jaqua et que estando el present deposant en Jaqua vio fasta en número de LXX cabeças de ganado del dicho apellydant, en el qual havía visto y reconocido II o III mardanos e(x)secutados, las quales LXX cabeças de ganado se abían traydo los de la dicha ciudat de Jaqua.
/f. 103-11 Et el dicho Justicia, hoydo el dicho apellydo mandó a sus vergueros ser fecha reintrega de lo contenido en el segundo artyculo del dicho apellydo en donde dize que los de Jaqua hovieron pendrado o tomado LXX cabeças de ganado, en los quales estaban dos mardanos.
Et más atorgó la reintrega de lo contenido en el quinto artyculo en donde se fabla de Tomás de Palacio, vezino de Jaqua. Et la reintrega de los restantes VI artyculos se atura el dicho Justicia para mayor determinación aber de Consejo.
A XIIII días del mes de mayo, anyo de (MCCCC)LXXXXIII fizo relación Grabyel de Magallón, verguero, que abía tomado huna mulata de hun vezino de la dicha ciudat de Jaqua, la qual mulata tomó de cassa de maestre Pedro el anblador e la havía vendido a Martín Navarro, especiero vezino de la ciudat de Çaragoça, en XXVI florines de oro en horo, de los /f. 103-11v. quales XXVI florines d'oro se pagaron a Galdamez, por espensa que fizo la mula en (C)XXXIII días, XXXIII
Página 125
sueldos; al dicho maestre Pedro por sus trebajos y espensa de la mula, segunt su albarán de mano de su fijo, LXII sueldos; por espensas de la Casa, VIII sueldos. E fueron librados et recibió Johan Pérez de Cásseda que sería CCCXIIII sueldos.
Et el senyor Justicia, a XXVIIII de octobre del anyo mil CCCCLXXXXIII libró a don Johan Pérez de Cásseda, decontantes, CCXVI sueldos.
/f. 103-15v. El senyor don Ramón Cerdán, Justicia, tomó jurament * a Johan Pérez de Cáseda y a Miguel de Peguera que del apellido dado por mossén Enbún contra Jaqua que de aquel ganado en el
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
AÑO: 1472 - 1492
AUTOR: Anónimo
TÍTULO: Documentación medieval de la Corte del Justicia de Ganaderos de Zaragoza
PAÍS: ESPAÑA
Note that it is a livestock court. And they use both mulata and mula to refer to the mule.
'
FAQ
Search
Register
Log in
