Anglo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The term Anglo can be used as a prefix to indicate a relation to England and the United Kingdom, as in the phrases 'Anglo-American' or 'Anglo-Indian'.
It is also used, somewhat loosely, to refer to a person or people of English ethnicity in North America, Australia and Southern Africa. It is also used, in non-English-speaking countries, to refer to someone from any English-speaking country.
Anglo is a Late Latin prefix used to denote "English-" in conjunction with another toponym or demonym. The word is derived from Anglia, the Latin name for England, and still the modern name of its southeastern portion. Anglia and England both mean "Land of the Angles", a Germanic people originating in the north German peninsula of Angeln.
Contents |
[edit] Specialized usage
[edit] Canada
In Canada, and especially in Quebec, the term anglophone is widely used to designate someone whose everyday language is English, as contrasted to francophone (someone whose everyday language is French) and allophones (those who use any other language).
[edit] United States
In the Southwest United States, Anglo, short for Anglo American, refers to non-Hispanic whites, including all European Americans, most of whom speak the English language but not necessarily of English descent. The term has been regularly used by mainstream media such as the Los Angeles Times. Even though only about 7% of the American population is actually of English descent, the term Anglo may be used as a synonym for all non-hispanic Whites who constitute roughly 70% of the total population.
Anglo can simply refer to English-speaking population or media, or can also carry connotations of white, though it is hard to tell if this a conscious definition of the term itself, or simply an assumption of whiteness as the default in American society. In other words the term may also be used as a technically incorrect synonym for White. It is also possible to find usage of Anglo in contrast with Jewish. [1]
Most non-Hispanics in the United States who speak English but are not of English ancestry generally identify themselves as non-Anglo and some of them find the term offensive. For instance, some Cajuns in south Louisiana use the term to refer to area whites who do not have Francophone backgrounds. Irish Americans, the second largest ethnic goup in the United States following German-Americans, also often take umbrage at being called "Anglo."[2]
[edit] Australia
In Australia "Anglo" is the abbreviation of Anglo-Celtic or Anglo-Irish, which refers to the majority of Australians who are of mixed English and Irish stock. Roughly one third of Australians are of Irish ancestry. In contemporary Australian usage "Anglo" is often used to denote the dominant ethnic group in Australia, either neutrally or as a slur. The slur equivalent is generally "Skip" taken from the title character of the Skippy the Bush Kangaroo television series who, as a kangaroo, fit stereotypical mainstream concepts of Australia.
[edit] Scotland
In Scotland the term Anglo-Scot, often shortened to "Anglo", is used to refer to people born in England with Scottish ancestry such as Rod Stewart and Sandy Lyle.
[edit] Ireland
Anglo-Irish is a historical term applied to the anglicised Protestants who made up the Irish professional and landed classes during the 19th century. The Anglo-Irish were often of Irish or mixed Irish-British ancestry and usually identified themselves as Irish despite adopting many English customs. In this sense, "Anglo-Irish" identified a social class.
[edit] Israel
Immigrants from English-speaking countries were referred to as Anglo-Saxonim, and now sometimes as simply Anglo. [3]
For the term's use in a global context, see Anglosphere
[edit] See also
[edit] External Links
- Don't Call Me Late For Dinner, And Please Don't Call Me Anglo letter to the editor, The Arizona Republic, August 4, 1992
