Mulato
/muˈla.to/noun
A term historically used in Spanish and Portuguese for a person of mixed African and European ancestry.
Did you know?The term is widely considered offensive today, and its history shows how colonial societies used animal imagery to classify and dehumanize people.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
Latin
mulus
“mule”
Medieval Iberian Romance
Spanish/Portuguese
mulato
“a mixed-race person; originally a derogatory comparison to a mule”
16th Century
Spanish
mulato
“a person of mixed African and European ancestry”
16th Century
Portuguese
mulato
“a person of mixed African and European ancestry”
Modern English
English
mulatto
“an outdated and offensive term for a person of mixed Black and White ancestry”