• Dessalines@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      iirc its a word for enemy, IE the colonists encountered a rival tribe, and never cared to correct their mistake.

      • Mercival@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        The Wikipedia says it comes from a French misspelling of an indigenous word that could be used to describe the people. So it might be a little less offensive than that, but still not great.