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Glite Dictionary
🧑 A group member 👪 A family name 🧬 Related to heritage
Melungeon

Melungeon

1 9.9
A person with mixed family background who historically lived in Appalachia
  • noun
  • /məˈlənjən/
: melungeon
  • Historians have studied the origins of the Melungeon people for many years.

Examples

  • Some families in Tennessee proudly trace their roots to Melungeon ancestors.

  • The Melungeon community has unique traditions and cultural practices in Appalachia.

  • The Melungeon community has a rich cultural heritage.

  • Many Melungeons live in the Appalachian Mountains.

  • The Melungeon heritage is celebrated during the annual festival in rural Appalachia.

  • Many people are unaware that the Melungeon community has influenced regional music in the southeastern United States.

  • Cultural historians focus on the Melungeon identity and its impact on local history in Appalachia.

Surface Forms

Melungeon singular
Melungeons plural

Etymology

Melungeon likely comes from a word that meant 'mixture', and many people connect it to French mélange ('mixture'). That is why a Melungeon is a person from a mixed-ancestry group in the Appalachian region.