The term Anglo is used as a prefix to indicate a relation to the Angles, England or the English people, as in the phrases 'Anglo-Saxon', 'Anglo-American', 'Anglo-Celtic', and 'Anglo-Indian'. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to a person or people of English ethnicity in the The Americas, Australia and Southern Africa. It is also used, both in English-speaking and non-English-speaking countries, to refer to Anglophone people of other European origins.

Anglo is a Late Latin prefix used to denote "English-" in conjunction with another toponym or demonym. The word is derived from Anglia, the Latin name for England, and still the modern name of its eastern region. Anglia and England both mean "Land of the Angles", a Germanic people originating in the north German peninsula of Angeln.

Anglo is not a technical term. There are linguistic problems with using the word as an adjective or noun on its own. For example, the 'o' in Anglo means 'and' (Anglo-Saxon means of Angle and Saxon origin), so there is only an apparent parallelism between, for example, "Latino" and "Anglo". However, a semantic change has taken place in many English-speaking regions, so that in informal usage the meanings listed below are valid.

Specialized usage

Australia

In Australia, "Anglo" is used as part of the terms Anglo-Australian and Anglo-Celtic, which refer to the majority of Australians, who are of British and/or Irish descent.^[1]

Canada

In Canada, and especially in Canadian French, the term anglophone is widely used to designate someone whose everyday language is English, as contrasted to francophone whose everyday language is French and allophones, those with a different mother tongue. In Quebec, the word refers to English-speaking Quebecers in both English and French. Anglo-Metis is also sometimes used to refer to a historical ethnic group.

Israel

Immigrants from English-speaking countries were referred to as Anglo-Saxonim, and now sometimes shortened to Anglo.^[2]

New Zealand

Anglo in New Zealand refers to anyone who's of British (Anglo-Celtic) ancestry, although the more popular term for them, as well as for any white New Zealander, is P?keh?, a Maori term used by the indigenous Polynesian people.

Scotland

In Scotland the term Anglo-Scot, often shortened to "Anglo", is used to refer to people born in England with Scottish ancestry, or people born in Scotland with English ancestry.

Southern Africa

In South Africa, Anglo-South African is used for predominantly British-descended, English-speaking white people, who are contrasted with the Dutch-descended Afrikaners. Use of Anglo occurs elsewhere in former British colonies in Africa which have sizable British communities, including Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. However, the term "Anglo" is more heavily used in South Africa than in these other countries because of Apartheid and the importance it placed on race.

United States

In the United States, Anglo generally refers to White Americans who are not of Hispanic origin.^[3] The term is used without regard to whether or not they are of English descent. Many people included in the definition do not identify themselves as "Anglo", and some may find the term offensive. For example, some Irish Americans may resist, and deeply resent, the term because of historic tension with England.^[4] As might other distinctly Celtic people, such as the Welsh or Scots, for the same reason, or those of ethnic origins completely unrelated, such as Russians who find themselves conveniently labeled in this way.

References

See also

• Anglosphere
• Anglo-African
• Anglo-Burmese
• Anglo-Celtic
• Anglo-Indian
• Anglo-Irish
• Anglophile, Anglophobe
• Anglophone
• Anglo-Saxon
• Anglo-Scottish border
• Anglo-Scot
• Anglo-Boer War