Marrano

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Pronunciations

Marrano (muh-RAH-noh) listen

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Definitions

  • n. A Jew who was forced to convert to Christianity in medieval Spain and Portugal.

  • adj. Of or relating to Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity in medieval Spain and Portugal.

Example Sentences

  • "Conversos who did not fully or genuinely embrace Catholicism and continued to practice their Jewish faith in secrecy were referred to as 'judaizantes' and pejoratively as Marranos ('swine') or in Hebrew Bnai Anusim." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Spanish

Etymology

  • marrano; of disputed origin meaning, perhaps 'pig, swine'

      • Who Uses This

      • Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
      • Non-Jews: (words that have spread outside of Jewish networks)

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

      Alternative Spellings

      Marranos, Maranos, Marano

Notes

  • Though the term with reference to Jews was often used pejoratively, it has been adopted by some Jews as an honorable title.

    Alternative terms include anusim, conversos, Critaos Novos, chuetas, and crypto-Jews.

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