DCHP-1 Online

Canadian ((n.))

• 1 n. one of the aboriginal inhabitants of Canada; an Indian or Eskimo.

  • 1664  (1951-52)  [(tr. from the French) He transferred to a canoe . . . as the Canadians call their little boats.]
  • 1754  To bring this about he pretends that the people of Gashepe [Gaspé] and the Baye de Chaleurs near it, are called Canadians.
  • 1852  The shafts or galleries lately discovered at the copper mines on the south side of Lake Superior, containing immense quantities of stone chisels, betoken a people more advanced than the Canadians were on the arrival of the French.
  • 1957  We [the Indians] are the only true Canadians on this continent and it is not fair for us to have to leave this reserve.

• 2 n. Hist. a native of French Canada having French-speaking parents.

  See also: Canadan  Canadese  Canadien  French Canadian (def. 1)  

  • Until the 1790's the term was used exclusively of the French in Canada and continued to be so used until well into the 19th century, especially by outsiders travelling in Lower Canada and by Old Country traders in the North and Northwest. After the passing of the Canada Act in 1791, the term took on a wider meaning, referring to natives of both Upper and Lower Canada, an application which gradually displaced the older sense, which is now met with only in historical references, including fiction.

  • 1746  (1895)  Some allowance may likewise be made for their bad situation between Canadians, Indians and English, the ravages of all which they have felt by turns in the course of the war.
  • 1807  (1809)  The Canadians will not speak English; and Englishmen are weak enough to indulge them so far as to speak French too, which is much to their disadvantage.
  • 1947  It was not, however, until the latter part of the seventeenth century that the Canadians began their western offensive in earnest.

• 3 n. Fur Trade, Hist. the traders having their headquarters in Montreal (originally French Canadians but later not necessarily so), especially the partners and employees of the North-West Company.

  See also: Canadian ((adj.)) (def. 5)  

  • 1754  (1907)  They never had traded with any European or Canadian.
  • 1777  (1954)  As We find the Canadians carry on their trade Inland by going up the great Rivers & Lakes on the Back of Our Factories & thereby intercept the Natives. . . .
  • 1820  (1963)  . . . it put it in the power of the men to convey certain formation to the Canadians of the whole extent of the affairs of this district.
  • 1946  English Island preserves in its name the old custom to refer to the Hudson's Bay Company people as English and the North Westers as Canadians.

• 4a n. Hist. a native of Upper or Lower Canada or, after 1841, of United Canada, irrespective of racial background.

  • Although this sense is largely historical, Maritimers still refer to natives of Ontario especially as Canadians and to Ontario as Canada or Upper Canada.

  • 1792  (1955)  The sagacity of future ministers . . . will be usefully engaged in estimating that portion of population, which . . . will render it requisite for the Canadians to be permitted to set up for themselves.
  • 1840  The native Canadians of French and British extraction, and natives of the British Isles . . . live together in perfect social and political harmony.
  • 1963  The main interest of Canadians [in 1850] . . . was still the trade of the American West.

• 4b n. Northwest a settler from or a native of Upper Canada, later, Ontario.

  • 1870  (1963)  . . . the grub was good, the beds were nice and clean, the landlady a Canadian and the baccy plenty.
  • 1939  Alderson had spoken to his superior, a Canadian by the name of Tatlow, an old-timer who had been through the Riel Rebellion. . . .

• 4c n. an English-speaking citizen of Canada, as opposed to a French-Canadian.

  • After the term Canadian came to refer to all persons in the Canadas, and later to all citizens of the Dominion of Canada, English speakers often used it (and sometimes still use it) in such a way as to exclude their French-speaking compatriots.

  • 1813  We must convince our foe [the United States] that a Briton and a Canadian are synonymous terms.
  • 1862  (1955)  As everyone knows, the tone of voice is very different between Americans and Englishmen, but it is also different between Canadians and Englishmen, the Canadians to a slight degree participating in the universal twang prevalent in the northern states.
  • 1887  Thirty years ago, we, who speak French, were called by every one purely and simply "Canadians"; others were known as English, Scotch or Irish. Lately the fashion has grown up of calling others Canadians and distinguishing us as French.
  • 1959  Across the years Canadians have been and still are fashioning a distinct kind of English. . . .

• 5 n. Hist. a member of the Canadian Party (def. 2).

  See also: Canadian party  

  • 1926  This angered the French group, and when the Canadians gathered at Dr. Schultz' house in Winnipeg, Riel went down with three hundred men, carried them to the fort and locked them up.

• 6 n. a native or citizen of Canada, irrespective of racial origin.

  • 1869  They do not consider themselves one whit less Canadians because they are also Britons. . . .
  • 1964  There is no doubt about it, Canadians are just plain fed up with elections.

• 7 n. the kind of English spoken in Canada by English-speaking Canadians.

  See also: Canadian English  

  • 1884  . . . Three Bulls, chief of the Blackfeet, was interviewed to-day . . . and although [he] did not understand Canadian . . . the interview was exceedingly cordial.
  • 1962  At the very least I expected to emerge able to Say Something in Canadian.

• 8a n. a cow, steer, etc. bred in Canada.

  • 1909  (1913)  Domesticated Canadians, properly finished, land, as a rule, in excellent condition, and compete closely in price with the best States cattle of the same class.

• 8b n. a breed of small cattle developed in Quebec from stock brought to Canada by early French settlers.

  See also: Canadian cattle  

  • 1936  In conformation, the breed is similar to that of the Channel Islands' breeds. The Canadians are angular in outline, hardy, good grazers, and have large capacity for roughage.
  • 1967  Quebec farmers long ago bred a strain of cattle they call the Canadian, but to me . . . it looks like just another cow.

• 9 n. a breed of sturdy, black draught horse developed in Quebec from stock brought to Canada by early French settlers.

  See also: Canadian horse  

  • 1936  CANADIAN Type--Draught (small). Place of Origin--Quebec, Canada. . . . Colour--black. Characteristics--The foundations of the breed were introduced to Canada by early settlers from France. Representatives of the breed are smaller than those of the better known draught breeds, but are very muscular and possess great stamina and hardiness.
  • 1941  Although not a big horse, the Canadian is well made and rich in quality.