Morisco

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term used to describe individuals of Islamic heritage who embraced Christianity, particularly during the Reconquista period in Spain, it can also refer to their descendants who continued to practice these beliefs
2. This designation applies to those who were once followers of Islam and subsequently converted to Christianity in Iberian regions, as well as their lineage that maintained these religious ties
3. A label for those of Muslim background who adopted Christianity during the Reconquista in Spain, along with their descendants that persisted in some Islamic practices

Etymology: The word goes back to the Moors, the Muslim peoples of North Africa who conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula from 711 onward. Spanish "moro" meant "Moor," and "morisco" was formed from it with the adjective-making suffix "-isco," so the term literally meant "Moorish" or "of the Moors." Over time it stopped describing a people or culture in general and came to name a specific group: Muslims who had been baptised as Christians, or their descendants, living under Christian rule in Spain and Portugal. That shift reflects a dramatic change in the position of these communities. After Christian kingdoms took control of the peninsula, Muslims who remained were pressured to convert, and those who did were nonetheless viewed with suspicion as their Christianity was questioned. The label therefore marked a religious and social category, not just a shared ancestry, and it carried the sense of people whose loyalty to the new faith was doubted.

Synonyms: morisca