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Glite Dictionary
🐧 A penguin 📜 An old term for Hindu
gentoo

gentoo

9.9
An old offensive word for a Hindu person used in colonial times
  • noun
  • Slur
translation icon : [término arcaico y ofensivo para persona hindú]
  • In the 18th century, British officials sometimes labeled Hindu communities as gentoo in their reports.

Examples

  • Historians caution against using terms like gentoo because of their offensive and outdated nature.

  • The word gentoo appears in many old colonial documents but is no longer used today.

  • The term gentoo was used in colonial documents.

  • Many historians find the use of gentoo offensive today.

  • The term gentoo is often found in archaic texts that reflect colonial attitudes towards Hindu people.

  • Many scholars agree that the label gentoo should not be used in contemporary discussions of history due to its offensive implications.

  • In various colonial reports, officials referred to Hindu individuals as gentoo, highlighting the prejudiced views of that era.

Synonyms

Hindoo
vsgentoo
  • Archaic
9.9

An old word for a person from India or someone who follows the Hindu religion

is archaic and regarded as offensive in colonial records rather than a simple old spelling

Surface Forms

gentoo singular
gentooes plural

Etymology

Gentoo was once used in old colonial records from the Portuguese word gentio meaning 'gentile' or 'non-Christian' to label Hindu people. This use is now outdated and offensive, which is why the word is no longer used in that way.