Moor (n.) North African, Berber, late 14c., from Old French More, from Medieval Latin Morus, from Latin Maurus inhabitant of Mauritania (northwest Africa, a region now corresponding to northern Algeria and Morocco), from Greek Mauros, perhaps a native name, or else cognate with mauros black (but this adjective only appears in late Greek and may as well be from the peoples name as the reverse). Being a dark people in relation to Europeans, their name in the Middle Ages was a synonym for Negro; later (16c.-17c.) used indiscriminately of Muslims (Persians, Arabs, etc.) but especially those in India. Moro Muslim Malay of the Philippines, 1886, from Spanish Moro, literally Moor (see Moor).
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 19:24:41 +0000
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