maroon etymology

Etymology:

The word "maroon" has multiple etymological origins:

  • Spanish: "cimarrón," meaning "wild" or "untamed"
  • French: "marron," meaning "chestnut brown"
  • Portuguese: "marrom," also meaning "chestnut brown"

Meaning:

"Maroon" has two primary meanings:

1. A Deep Reddish-Brown Color:

  • A shade of red that is slightly towards the brown spectrum.
  • Often described as a dark, slightly purplish red.

2. Someone Left Behind or Abandoned:

  • A person who has been deserted, stranded, or isolated.
  • Can also refer to a group of people who live in a remote or isolated area, often as a result of being abandoned or escaping from society.

Origin:

The word "maroon" entered the English language in the 16th century, originally referring to the color derived from the chestnut tree. The Spanish word "cimarrón" was used to describe runaway slaves in the Americas, and by the 18th century, "maroon" had come to be used in English to refer to people of African descent who had escaped from slavery and established communities in remote areas.

maroon relate terms

  • cimarron

    Etymology Spanish cimarrón Meaning Wild untamed uncontrolled Native to the Ame

  • maroon

    Etymology The word maroon has multiple etymological origins Spanish cimarrón m

  • Seminole

    Etymology Spanish cimarrón wild untamed Meaning Wild people or runaways

  • maroon

    Etymology The word maroon has multiple etymological origins Spanish cimarrón m

  • strand

    Etymology The English word strand has Germanic origins and is related to the Proto Germ

  • forsake

    Etymology Old English forsacan Proto Germanic fursakaną Proto Indo European pre sk

  • isolate

    Etymology Origin Late Middle English as a noun from Medieval Latin isolatus separa

  • desert

    Etymology The word desert comes from the Late Latin word deserere meaning to aband

  • pyrotechnic

    Etymology The word pyrotechnic originates from two Greek words pyr πῦρ mean

  • abandon

    Etymology Origin Middle English abandonar from Old French abandoner from Late Latin

  • insulate

    Etymology Latin insulātus past participle of insulare meaning to make into an

  • confer

    Etymology The word confer comes from the Latin word conferre which means to bring