English
Morisco
Morisco comes from Spanish morisco ‘Moorish’, from moro ‘Moor’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek ἀμαυρός ‘dark, dusky’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀμαυρόςamaurós‘dark, dusky’earlier origin unknown
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΜαῦροςMaûros‘Mauretanian, Moorish’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEMaurus‘of or pertaining to the Moors’
- Old Spanishc. 950–1500moro
- Spanishc. 1500–presentsame form‘Moor’
- Spanish, derivedc. 1500–presentmorisco‘Moorish’
- Englishearliest quotation 1591Morisco
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀμαυρόςamaurós‘dark, dusky’earlier origin unknown
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΜαῦροςMaûros‘Mauretanian, Moorish’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEMaurus‘of or pertaining to the Moors’
- Old Spanishc. 950–1500moro
- Spanishc. 1500–presentsame form‘Moor’
- Spanish, derivedc. 1500–presentmorisco‘Moorish’
- Englishearliest quotation 1591Morisco
Earliest quotation: 1591, William Shakespeare, Henry VI: “I have seen / Him caper upright like a…”
Linked words
through Latin Maurus ‘of or pertaining to the Moors’
Today it means
noun A Moor, especially one who had converted to Christianity.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἀμαυρός / Morisco