Difference between revisions of "Caucasian"
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| − | '''Caucasian''' | + | '''Caucasian''' is a 19th cnetury term for the white race. |
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| + | Whites have less [[melanin]] pigment in their skin than the average human being. Darker-skinned people regard them as "white" in contrast (see [[skin color]]). The term grew out of belief at the time that European languages originated in the Caucasus (mountains between the Black and Caspian Seas), but this turned out not to be true, so the word "Caucasian" (like "American Indian") is in fact a misnomer. | ||
[[category:ethnicities]] | [[category:ethnicities]] | ||
Revision as of 08:00, May 22, 2009
Caucasian is a 19th cnetury term for the white race.
Whites have less melanin pigment in their skin than the average human being. Darker-skinned people regard them as "white" in contrast (see skin color). The term grew out of belief at the time that European languages originated in the Caucasus (mountains between the Black and Caspian Seas), but this turned out not to be true, so the word "Caucasian" (like "American Indian") is in fact a misnomer.