These words are not used in modern English, but in both Spanish and English in the past, there were specific words to denote combinations down to 1/64th part. I have seen a chart (with facial drawings) of such classifications in a museum somewhere in Lain America. Back then, you wouldn't want to accidentally marry or socialize with someone having a few drops of the wrong blood!(I personally find it amazing that anybody might feel it necessary to keep track of these things when it comes to the ancestry of someone other than oneself.)
I believe that etymologically, the suffix is actually "oon" not "roon." A version of -on with greater emphasis on the last syllable e.g. buffoon.Does anybody know the meaning of the suffix “roon”?
I have found in words like “quadroon” or “octoroon”.
Thanks in advance.
cuarterón1, na.
(Der. del lat. quartarĭus, y este der. de quartus, cuarto, por tener un cuarto de indio y tres de español).
1. adj. Nacido en América de mestizo y española, o de español y mestiza. U. t. c. s.
ochavón, na.
(De ochavo).
1. adj. Cuba. Se dice del mestizo nacido de blanco y cuarterona o de cuarterón y blanca.
I believe, but I am looking for better references, that the "roon" suffix was borrowed from the West Indies Maroons. Let me know what you find.Does anybody know the meaning of the suffix “roon”?
I have found in words like “quadroon” or “octoroon”.
Thanks in advance.
Although I'm not an expert, I think that in English the simple -oon suffix has no special meaning. For example, words like platoon and cartoon do not seem to have anything in common - except perhaps for a foreign origin.I mistook thinking about “roon” when it was “oon”.
If we look at "oon" for a bit we can see it does have foreign origin so to speak. It was how English pronounced the ending of some French words. Check out this link.Although I'm not an expert, I think that in English the simple -oon suffix has no special meaning. For example, words like platoon and cartoon do not seem to have anything in common - except perhaps for a foreign origin.
But there is also marrone, which is standard Italian for "brown".marymaroon said:That is not to say that "maroon" is French. Maroon, as a color translated to French is bordeaux. Maroon is not a French word. Marone, on the other hand is an Italian word but it refers to a dialect. It could be that an English speaker might pronounce "marone" and "maroon" but the meaning does not translate to American slavery in anyway.
Good point. Brown is absolutely a way to distinguish a dark skinned slave. I think we are back on track here.But there is also marrone, which is standard Italian for "brown".
A reminder of additional color references is helpful here and are absolutely related. We should also remember the West Indies Maroons were very brown and their history is very connected to slavery.There is a caveat, however, English maroon comes from French marron which comes from Spanish cimarron, which comes from a Taino word, at least according to Wiktionary, meanwhile Italian marrone is apparently from a Greek word for chestnut, and therefore unrelated.