CAUCASIAN Meaning and
Definition
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Caucasian is a term used to describe an ethnic or racial group originating from the region of the Caucasus, a mountain range in southwestern Russia between the Black and Caspian Seas. This term has historically been used to categorize the indigenous people of this region, including ethnic groups such as Circassians, Chechens, and Georgians, among others.
However, in contemporary usage, the term "Caucasian" has taken on a broader meaning and is often used to describe people with light skin color, European features, and European ancestry. These characteristics are commonly associated with individuals of European descent, including people from Western Europe (e.g., British, French, German), Eastern Europe (e.g., Russian, Polish, Ukrainian), and Mediterranean countries (e.g., Italian, Greek, Spanish).
It is important to note that the categorization of racial or ethnic groups can be controversial and vary across different cultures and societies. The use of terms like "Caucasian" has been criticized for perpetuating a simplistic and outdated classification system that does not account for the complexity and diversity of human populations. Moreover, these terms do not accurately reflect the genetic variations and historical migrations that have shaped human populations over time.
In summary, "Caucasian" is a term historically associated with the indigenous people of the Caucasus region but has come to generally refer to people of European descent or with European physical characteristics.
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• Pert. to Mount Caucasus in Europe.
• One belonging to the Indo-European race originating near Mount Caucasus.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Top Common Misspellings for CAUCASIAN *
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Other Common Misspellings for CAUCASIAN
Etymology of CAUCASIAN
The word "Caucasian" is derived from the Caucasus Mountains, a range that spans between Europe and Asia, located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. The term was first introduced by the German anthropologist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach in the late 18th century. Blumenbach's classification system divided humans into five distinct races, with the Caucasian race considered to be of European and Western Asian origin. The name "Caucasian" was chosen because Blumenbach believed that the people from this region represented the purest and most beautiful form of the human race. However, it is important to note that the categorization of races has since been widely discredited in modern scientific understanding as it lacks biological basis and promotes harmful stereotypes.
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