Planet-Love.com Searchable Archives

so what is the difference?

... in response to triguena vs Morena, posted by jey on Apr 24, 2005

Depends on who (which latino(a)) you talk to.  Most of the ladies I dated in Colombia refer to themselves as 'triguena'.  Which can mean anything from light to cinamon color skin, and variety of hair 'texture'.  In general a lot of the ladies like to refer to themselves as triguena.  My understanding of the term is that it refers to a mixture of three races, white(european), african, and indigenous.  So you can imagine the variety of 'expression' of that mixture.  I met a lady (who would be called 'negra' by most, or 'morena') but who said she was triguena.  A chica I met from cartagena was bothered that she didn't look latina enough, she had very (naturally) blond hair, and remarked that most of us, gringos, were (would be) looking for chica with darker hair and complexion.  I guess both latinas and gringos are looking for something more exotic ........

... in response to triguena vs Morena, posted by jey on Apr 24, 2005

Well I'm sure you guys all have more experience than me and are much better at Spanish.  I don't know about triguena but I always have heard morena used in reference to hair color.

... in response to triguena vs Morena, posted by jey on Apr 24, 2005

I guess the question is what do  the locals think it means.Literally as Pablo links to below Morena means brown and Triguena.
My take is morena means brown tending toward black features.So a Morena would be half Black?I had a girl friend who was quite dark.And she would sun tan to get darker.Some african like features.Her mother looked  primarily black.Her father not.She was refered to alot as a morena.Even after we broke up I called a cab to take me to the airport.The driver was talking about a morena,I finally got it he connected me  with her.He had probably driven her away from my place alot.I was tempted to ask where to.In the late stages of our relationship I would watch the cab drive off.It would make the first left turn,not the normal way to her place.I suspected she was going to see her other guy I had heard about.If my spanish was good enough I would have asked.
Triguena means tan skin or medium shkin but not as dark as Morena I don't think.It doesn't have a part black connection like Morena I don't think.

Pete

... in response to triguena vs Morena, posted by jey on Apr 24, 2005

trigueña is a latina with tan skin, dark (black) eyes, straight dark(black) hair. morena is the same without the straight hair, of african decent, like oprah while negra is of african decent and their skin is really black, like the little statues that are sold in the artesanias of the women carrying fruit baskets on their heads in colombia.

... in response to Re: triguena vs Morena, posted by jediknight on Apr 24, 2005

I never heard that before.  Trigue~na is dark skinned as is morena.  Morena can be used as a polite way of saying  black however it does not necessarily mean negro and dark mestizos can be called morena.  

Moreno literally means brown.

... in response to not related to hair texture, posted by Malandro on Apr 25, 2005

Malandro,

So what does Triquena literally mean? Or is there a literal translation?  So, is it common for the girls to refer to themselves in such a way?  I am a white man, but it is not common for me to comment one way or the other about my skin color.  I am not particularly fair colored.  I have what I would call just average skin color; blue eyes and medium brown hair.   When I was a little boy, I had blond hair.  All that to say this, I would certainly stand out in any Latin American country.  But, I would blend in very well here in the States.  So, for the ladies, they are in their own country.  Is it common or uncommon for them to comment one way or the other about what color skin they have?  Now, I realize that the agencies will go into more depth on the ladies' appearance, because they know they are dealing with a bunch of gringos; many of whom have never been outside the US before.  But, I am more curious about how the latins view themselves?  Also, based on your experience, do the latinas make a big deal about how different the gringos look to them?  I don't recall too much conversation about that  when I was around.  However, I was on a date with a latina and her twin sister last year.  The girl I was with was holding my hand and was stroking my arm.  She commented and laughed a little to her sister.  I got the feeling that she was not used to seeing a man with hairy  arms.  Had we dated more, I could have shown her a lot more body hair! ha  But, seriously, I am a bit on the hairy side; as is normal for Anglos.  Well, I will close now.

                        OkieMan

... in response to Re: not related to hair texture, posted by OkieMan on Apr 25, 2005

olive skinned.   however, I thought olives were green or black.

but seriously, on the other hand an online dictionary says "dark skinned".

moreno is a more polite term to use than negro, and again they use moreno for people who aren't black too.

triguena may be a little lighter but I've heard it used as a very polite way of describing someone who is quite dark.

but to avoid confusion, morena can be a mulatta or black person and triguena is like a deep tan.  

... in response to my dictionary says, posted by Malandro on Apr 25, 2005

Comes from the word 'trigo' (wheat) and litterly means 'straw colored'. I think that it's pretty much a term that only Colombians and Venezuelans use, because I had never heard it before I started dealing with Colombian women and it had me confused. I asked a Mexican friend "Say, I'm talking to this Colombian woman and she keeps telling me she's 'triguena', what the *&^%$ is she talking about?" and he explained it to me. He said that it's a word that ANY Spanish speaker would UNDERSTAND, but that a MEXICAN would never USE, kind of like 'lorry' in England vs 'truck' in the US.

... in response to Re: my dictionary says, posted by Michael B on Apr 25, 2005

n/t

... in response to Re: not related to hair texture, posted by OkieMan on Apr 25, 2005

okie this is the deal and my girlfriend confirmed this, while we can go on and on about latin american history and the mixture of races, generally speaking, in a nutshell, negro is black(really dark skin), moreno is a lighter skin version of that but still of african decent, triguena is someone with a tan skin, darker eyes, hair, generally straight hair but can be curly but not kinky like a black persons hair(afro) women from cali are generally described as triguena while there are more morenas in the coast. it is very commen for people to describe others as morena or triguena. don't worry about the hairy arms, latinas love that, i think we worry about that more because AM hate it so much, latinas love hair on a man....as long as he isn't mistaken for a bear.
JK

... in response to Re: Re: not related to hair texture, posted by jediknight on Apr 25, 2005

Jedi,

Generally speaking, I am not in the bear category.  More like a wolf--make that a lone wolf, who is tired of being alone.  Lon Chaney, here I come.  AHHOOO (I'm howling at the moon! ha)

                      OkieMan

... in response to triguena vs Morena, posted by jey on Apr 24, 2005

triguena is light-skinned, literally wheat colored.
morena is dark-skinned.  

A problem is that the standard for dark-skinned is not fixed.  A woman as fair as Halle Berry can be morena as well as someone as dark as Denzel Washington.  I think only when a woman is as dark as Wesley Snipes that you leave "morena" and enter "negra".

... in response to Re: triguena vs Morena, posted by Brazilophile on Apr 24, 2005

in fact, triguena refers to skin color while moreno is more broadly used as the color brown.

... in response to no, triguena is dark skinned too, posted by Malandro on Apr 25, 2005

So, is there a literal translation for triquena?  I think that is the skin tone for the latina I am about to meet -- based on her pictures. Do they normally refer to themselves in that way; or is it more of way for us to describe them?  Whatever it is, I love it!  If the girl I am going to meet really looks as good as her pictures, then I am going to be in hog heaven.  If not, then this little piggy will go somewhere else! ha

                          OkieMan

... in response to Re: no, triguena is dark skinned too, posted by OkieMan on Apr 25, 2005

I haven't see her picture, but most likely yes, she referes to herself as 'triguena' and would perfer that term to 'morena' (I called a Colombian 'morena' once and was met with a stern 'I am NOT a negro'---OTOH, a Mexican of the same shade would indeed call herself 'morena'--it can get confussing). Anyway, as I just posted in another message, the litteral translation of 'triguena' is 'straw colored, wheat colored'. The literal translation of 'morena' is 'brown', but usually people say 'de cafe' (color of coffee) when refering to hair or eye color.

... in response to Re: triguena vs Morena, posted by Brazilophile on Apr 24, 2005

Brazilophile,

You gave examples of black people when you were comparing the skin colors.  How about the more hispanic/latin type people?  I know that each LA country has their own unique ethnic and cultural mixes; but just as a general rule?  What skin color name would you give to a latina who has medium tanned or maybe a little darker?  My calena has that colored skin, long dark hair and dark eyes.  She is definitely in the hispanic/latin ethnic group, not negro.  I am just curious.

                             OkieMan

... in response to Re: Re: triguena vs Morena, posted by OkieMan on Apr 24, 2005

Okie,

Your questions suggests that you believe that dark-skinned Latins are not "Black" or that their dark skin is the result of something other than being of African descent, not so?  Do you believe that the color of a fair-skinned Latina and the color of a fair-skinned Black American are different colors?   Do you also believe that a pound of lead has a different weight than a pound of feathers?

"I know that each LA country has their own unique ethnic and cultural mixes; but just as a general rule?"

Not to be too sarcastic and condescending, but your statement belies a deep ignorance of LA history.  All of Latin America has the same general experience of colonization by Spain, Portugal, England (Guyana and Belize), France (French Guiana), and the Netherlands (formerly Dutch Guyana, now Suriname).  All of these countries used indigenous populations as slave labor.  When they died out due to European diseases etc, they imported slaves from Africa.  Brazil alone imported more Africans during the slave trade than any other country in the world.  Other countries that received large numbers of slaves were Venezuela, Colombia including what is now Panama, all 3 Guyanas, Belize, the eastern coasts of Costa Rica, Honduras, and the Vera Cruz region of Mexico.  In addition, many slaves ran away into the interior of South America and settled in areas of Peru and Bolivia.

As slave revolts and lberation movements made the slavery of Africans more difficult, the colonialists turned to their Asian colonies for indentured labor.  Portugal brought lots of Chinese from their colony Macau.  England brought lots of Indians to Guyana and Trinidad, enough for them to now comprise around 45% of the populations of those countries.  The Dutch brought over lots of Asians from their former colony of Indonesia.

There has been lots of inter-mixing in SA of all the 4 major racial groups; the indigenous peoples, the Asians, the Europeans, and the Africans.  That is how there is now such a range of skin colors among Latins, especially in the working classes.  Only the extremely wealthy elite class never mixed and stayed pure European over the centuries.  I don't even want to guess at how much inbreeding went on to maintain that.

To quote from the US Census, Latin/Hispanic is an ETHNICITY, not a RACE.  "Negro" is a RACE, not an ETHNICITY.  All major racial groups are represented in the Latin ethnicity.  

All that said, it is best that you ask your novia, NOT ME or US, how she describes the color of her skin.  

I gave examples of Black Americans because most on the list are familiar with them.  If I used, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Gilberto Gil, Pele, Mana, etc. as examples I doubt as many would have followed my point.

... in response to Re: Re: Re: triguena vs Morena, posted by Brazilophile on Apr 24, 2005

Yes, Brazilophile.  I am familiar with what you are talking about. I enjoy studying that too.   I also have a brother who has made many missions trips to Peru. Back in the States,we have many Native Americans here in Oklahoma.  In fact, our state name means "Land of the Red Man".  There are also people from many of the tribes who have intermarried with blacks.  I was just mainly trying to distinguish between the idigenious people and the blacks, and how the skin color was affected. The latina that I am currently interested in is not doubt a mix between spanish and indigenious people; not black-- as far as I can tell.  But, since each LA country is somewhat different, I am very interested in the many types of people, skin color, culture, etc.

                                OkieMan

... in response to Re: Re: triguena vs Morena, posted by OkieMan on Apr 24, 2005

trigueña

... in response to triguena vs Morena, posted by jey on Apr 24, 2005


Everything you'll ever need to know on Latin race and color classifications.

http://www.zonalatina.com/Zldata55.htm