Marrano
1
9.9
- noun
- /məˈrɑːnoʊ/
- Slur
- The term Marrano is often used to describe those who outwardly converted to Christianity but secretly practiced Judaism.
Examples
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Tomás de Torquemada, the head of the Spanish Inquisition, was a marrano, a Jewish "convert" to Christianity, as was the founder of the Jesuits, Loyola.
Blog text (5) -
Ah, so it's that most unfortunate "Hebraic" surname which tipped Palin off to his Marrano (do I have that right?) leanings?
Blog text (25) -
Columbus, the marrano in search of a haven, landed five centuries later in hundreds of historical studies.
Academic text (1992) -
The most recent Marrano expose was in 1826: an old woman burned alive in Valencia.
Fiction book (2002) -
And so, a marrano in modern times, Charles ate his chicken like a gentile—all the while a Jew in his heart.
Fiction book (1999) -
"The marrano" attracted envy, while the Morisco was exploited and despised," wrote Litvinoff in this erudite history.
Academic text (1992) -
Among Montaigne scholars in Friedrich's time, the answer to Hitler's question was clear: Montaigne's mother was a marrano, a forced convert who had fled the Inquisition.
Academic text (1994) -
I have, by this time, lived and worked and fought and prayed with almost every manner of Jew, from exotic Georgians, fierce as wild Indians, to glum Russian-style marranos.
Fiction book (1995) -
In medieval Spain, many Jews were forced to become Marranos to escape persecution while secretly keeping their faith.
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Throughout history, the Marranos faced significant challenges as they navigated their dual identities in a hostile environment.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Marrano comes from the Spanish and Portuguese word marrano, which means 'pig' or 'swine' and was used as a cruel insult for Jews who converted to Christianity but secretly kept their Jewish practices. That's why Marrano is a historical, offensive term for those converts and should be used with care.