zambo, n.

zambo
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zambo_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1921; not fully revised

# zambonoun

## Earlier version

- zambo in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zambo mean?

There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun zambo. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

#### Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

### How common is the noun zambo?

About 0.03occurrences per million words in modern written English

1810 | 0.026
1820 | 0.025
1830 | 0.025
1840 | 0.023
1850 | 0.027
1860 | 0.023
1870 | 0.022
1880 | 0.022
1890 | 0.021
1900 | 0.022
1910 | 0.028
1920 | 0.025
1930 | 0.029
1940 | 0.031
1950 | 0.031
1960 | 0.032
1970 | 0.031
1980 | 0.026
1990 | 0.027
2000 | 0.024
2010 | 0.022

### How is the noun zambo pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzambəʊ/

### Where does the noun zambo come from?

Earliest known use

1810s

The earliest known use of the noun zambo is in the 1810s.

OED's earliest evidence for zambo is from 1819, in a translation by Helen Maria Williams, writer.

zambo is a borrowing from Spanish.

### Nearby entries

1. zalcitabine, n. 1991–
2. zamacueca, n. 1855–
3. Zamak, n. 1926–
4. zamang, n. 1819–
5. zamarra, n. 1841–
6. zama zama, n. 2006–
7. Zamazim, n. a1400–
8. Zambian, adj. & n. 1959–
9. Zambianization, n. 1964–
10. Zambianize, v. 1964–
11. zambo, n.1819–
12. Zamboni, n. 1965–
13. zambra, n. 1672–
14. zambuk, n. 1906–
15. zamburak, n. 1825–
16. zami, n. 1977–
17. Zamia, n. 1819–
18. zamindar, n. 1683–
19. zamindari, n. & adj. 1742–
20. zamindarship, n. 1698–1902
21. zamioid, adj. 1860–

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from Spanish.
< Spanish: see Sambo n.1 & adj.

## Meaning & use

1. 1.
   1819–
   = Sambo n.1 A.2.
   1. 1819

      > He was..of a dark brown complexion like a Zambo.

      H. M. Williams, translation of A. von Humboldt, Personal Narrative of Travels vol. IV. 430
   2. 1851

      > In the sparse settlements of the country [sc. Mexico] you meet with a strange race—the cross of the negro with the ancient inhabitants of the country—the ‘zamboes’.

      M. Reid, Rifle Rangers (1853) xi. 72
   3. 1896

      > The zambos, the offspring of the imported negro and the native Indian stock.

      W. E. Curtis, Venezuela xii. 159
   1. mulatto 1591–
      A person with one white and one black parent. Frequently more generally: a person of mixed white and black ancestry. Cf. metis, n. A.1, quadroon, n. Now chiefly considered offensive.
   2. mestizo 1598–
      Hence, more generally: any person of mixed racial origin. Cf. metis, n. A.1.
   3. mulat 1678
      A person with one white and one black parent. Cf. mulatto, n. A.1.
   4. topass 1680–
      A person of mixed black and Portuguese descent; often applied to a soldier, or a ship's scavenger or bath-attendant, who is of this class.
   5. cholo 1688–
      In Latin America: a person, esp. a man, of mixed Indigenous and European heritage. Sometimes derogatory. Cf. mestizo, n., chola, n. 1.
   6. Sambo 1698–
      Esp. in Spanish contexts: a person of mixed black and white or Indigenous American ancestry; spec. one descended directly from a black African…
   7. mustee 1699–
      A person of mixed European and African descent; (sometimes) spec. a person with one white-skinned parent and the other one-quarter black. Also more…
   8. quadroon 1707–
      Now chiefly considered offensive. A person who is by descent three-quarters white and one-quarter black; a person with one black grandparent. Formerly also: †a person with one…
   9. half-breed 1732–
      Originally and chiefly North American. A person who is descended from parents or ancestors of differing ethnic (or occasionally national) origin…
   10. quintroon 1758–
       A person who is by descent fifteen-sixteenths white and one-sixteenth black; one who is fifth in descent from an African. One of a number of terms formerly used to designate degrees of racial mixture, and now considered offensive; cf. quadroon, n., terceron, n., octoroon, n., etc.
   11. terceron 1758–
       In systems of racial classification used in European colonies: a person who is by descent three-quarters white and one-quarter black; a person with…
   12. Paulist 1772–
       = Paulista, n.
   13. bastard 1785–
       South African. Also bastaard. A person of mixed ethnic origin or descent, usually Khoekhoe and European or Khoekhoe and black; spec. a Griqua. Cf. B…
   14. Bastard Hottentot 1785–
       A member of a people of mixed Khoikhoi, white, and black African origin; cf. bastard, n. A.III.12a, B.III.9.
   15. blue skin 1788–
       derogatory. A black person or a person of mixed black and white descent. Now rare.
   16. half-caste 1789
       Now somewhat dated and usually considered offensive. A person of mixed race or descent; esp. a person with one white and one dark-skinned parent; (sometimes spec. (chiefly in India during British…
   17. Baster 1790–
       In South Africa and Namibia (formerly South West Africa): a person of mixed descent; (now usually) spec. = Rehoboth Baster, n. Cf. bastard, n.…
   18. lip-lap 1798–
       slang (derogatory). Now historical and rare. Originally and chiefly in the Dutch East Indies: a person having one Indonesian and one European parent; (also more generally) a white or mixed-race…
   19. East Indian 1801–
       A person of mixed European and Asian (esp. Indian) descent; = Eurasian, n. A.1 Now historical.
   20. griffe 1804–
       U.S. regional (southern, chiefly Louisiana). Now historical and offensive. A person who is by descent three-quarters African American and one-quarter white. Also: a person of mixed African American and North American…
   21. bois brûlé 1805–
       In North America: an Indigenous person of mixed descent, esp. one with French heritage.
   22. metif 1805–
       A person having mixed white and North American Indigenous parentage. Also more generally: a person with parents of different ethnic origin. Cf. metis…
   23. mameluco 1809–
       In Brazil: a person who has one Indigenous and one white parent.
   24. Griqua 1815–
       A member of an Afrikaans-speaking people of mixed Khoekhoe and South African Dutch descent inhabiting chiefly the regions of Griqualand West in the…
   25. Caboclo 1816–
       In Brazil: a westernized Indigenous person; (also) a person of mixed Indigenous and black or Indigenous and white parentage.
   26. koi-hai 1816–
       An Anglo-Indian, esp. one belonging to the Bengal Presidency.
   27. metis 1816–
       A person of mixed descent. Canadian. Usually with capital initial. A person having mixed white (esp. French Canadian or Scottish) and Indigenous…
   28. Indo-Portuguese 1817–
       A person of mixed Indian and Portuguese descent or heritage. Now historical.
   29. musteefino a1818–
       A person having one white-skinned parent and the other a mustee.
   30. Paulista 1817–
       a. A Brazilian person of mixed Portuguese and Indigenous descent, esp. one who was among the explorers or settlers of the hinterlands of southern…
   31. Morisco 1819–
       In extended use: a person who is by descent three-quarters white and one-quarter black; a person with three white grandparents and one black…
   32. zambo 1819–
       = Sambo, n.¹ A.2.
   33. Anglo-Indian 1826–
       A person of mixed British and Indian descent.
   34. Eurasian 1826–
       A person of mixed European and Asian descent.
   35. half-bred 1836–
       Originally and chiefly North American. A person who is descended from parents or ancestors of differing ethnic origin; esp. a person of mixed white…
   36. metis 1839–
       A person of mixed descent. In Asia, South America, the United States, etc.: a person of mixed race, esp. of mixed European and Indigenous origin…
   37. octoon 1840
       = octoroon, n.
   38. mestino 1842–
       A spurious form of mestizo, n. in W. T. Brande Dict. Sci. Lit. & Arts (1842), and in later dictionaries. (Webster's Internat. Dict. Eng. Lang.…
   39. Indo-African 1850–
       A person of mixed Indian and African heritage or descent.
   40. octoroon 1854–
       offensive. A person who is by descent seven-eighths white and one-eighth black; a person with seven white great-grandparents and one black great-grandparent…
   41. quarter-caste 1859–
       a. n. A person of mixed ancestry who is a quarter from one descent and three-quarters from another, spec. (Australian and New Zealand) a person who…
   42. Europasian 1867–99
       A person of mixed European and Asian heritage; = Eurasian, n. Obsolete.
   43. yellowbelly 1867–
       A person of South-East or East Asian (especially Chinese or Japanese) ethnic origin; spec. a person of mixed white and Asian descent. Cf. yellow, adj.…
   44. Black Indian 1876–
       (In the late 19th cent.) a person of African descent living as a member of an Indigenous community in the United States; (now also) a person of mixed…
   45. ladino 1877–
       In Central America, a mestizo or a white person. Also attributive or as adj.
   46. Eurafrican 1884–
       A person of mixed European and African descent; spec. (in South Africa) a Coloured person (see coloured, adj. A.I.3d). Cf. Euro-African, n. A.2.
   47. Conchy Joe 1888–
       Bahamian colloquial (sometimes derogatory and offensive). A Bahamian who is white or of mixed black and white descent. Cf. conch, n. 7.
   48. redbone 1890–
       regional (chiefly southern). A person of mixed racial descent, spec. one believed to have a degree of North American Indigenous ancestry and…
   49. Rehoboth Bastard 1894–
       = Rehoboth Baster, n. Cf. bastard, n. A.III.12a. Non-historical use is now likely to be offensive.
   50. Griqualander 1897–
       A Griqua; (also) an inhabitant of Griqualand East or Griqualand West.
   51. Indo-European 1908–
       Originally and chiefly in the context of the Dutch East Indies: a person of mixed European (typically Dutch) and Southeast Asian (typically Malay)…
   52. Indo 1921–
       Originally and chiefly in the context of the Dutch East Indies: a person of mixed European (typically Dutch) and Southeast Asian (typically Malay)…
   53. Rehobother Bastard 1921–
       With reference to the work of Eugen Fischer: = Rehoboth Baster, n.
   54. Rehoboth 1923–
       Chiefly South African. = Rehoboth Baster, n.
   55. mustard seed 1926–
       U.S. slang. offensive. A light-skinned person with one white and one black parent. Cf. high yellow, n. rare.
   56. Rehoboth Baster 1927–
       A member of an Afrikaans-speaking people of mixed, chiefly Dutch and Khoi, descent, originally resident in the Cape Colony but from the 1870s… Non-historical use is now likely to be offensive.
   57. Anglo?1943–
       Chiefly Indian English. A person of mixed British and Indian descent; = Anglo-Indian, n. A.2.
   58. Rehobother 1958–
       = Rehoboth Baster, n.
   59. samba 1958–
       = Sambo, n.¹ A.2.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
2. 2.
   1851–
   A species of American monkey.
   1. 1851

      > The ferocious zambo fills the woods with its hideous half-human voice.

      M. Reid, Rifle Rangers (1853) i. 11
   2. 1851

      > The ‘zambo’ monkey is one of the largest and fiercest of the family of quadrumana.

      M. Reid, Rifle Rangers (1853) i. 350
   animals
   1. martin c1400–1697
      A kind of monkey (not identified). Also martin ape, martin monkey.
   2. mammonet 1607–1751
      A kind of monkey (not identified).
   3. macaque 1698
      A kind of monkey native to Brazil (not identified). Obsolete. rare.
   4. spotted monkey 1771–
      A monkey with white specks or spots in the coat; (formerly) spec. the Diana monkey, Cercopithecus diana, of West Africa.
   5. zambo 1851–
      A species of American monkey.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzambəʊ/

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

## Frequency

zambo typically occurs about 0.03 times per million words in modern written English.

zambo is in frequency band 3, which contains words occurring between 0.01 and 0.1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zambo, n., 1810–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1810 | 0.026
1820 | 0.025
1830 | 0.025
1840 | 0.023
1850 | 0.027
1860 | 0.023
1870 | 0.022
1880 | 0.022
1890 | 0.021
1900 | 0.022
1910 | 0.028
1920 | 0.025
1930 | 0.029
1940 | 0.031
1950 | 0.031
1960 | 0.032
1970 | 0.031
1980 | 0.026
1990 | 0.027
2000 | 0.024
2010 | 0.022

zambo, n. was first published in 1921; not fully revised.

zambo, n. was last modified in December 2024.