DCHP-1 Online

English

• 1 n. (usually plural) Hist. the Hudson's Bay Company or its employees, a designation used by the North West Company and other fur companies based in Canada.

  See also: English Company  

  • 1784  The English used to call it the Black Moose, to distinguish it from the Stag, which they name the Grey Moose, the French call it L'Orignal.
  • 1794  (1929)  The English are so apprehensive of being attacked . . . that they would certainly remain here. . . .
  • 1820  (1938)  . . . by their account the English were completely extirpated and not a vestige of them would ever be permitted to cross Portage La Loche again.
  • 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.

• 2 n. an English-speaking Canadian.

  • 1800  (1965)  [. . . principal people in the town . . . are either English, Scotch, Irish, or their descendants, all of whom pass for English with the French inhabitants.]
  • 1870  Are we going to have a French party and an English party; I say no.
  • 1953  Later I discovered that in Canada, English means anyone who isn't French-Canadian.
  • 1966  Despite their continual search for talent, the Canadiens' lineup today is more than half English. . . .

• 3 n. Rare the Anglican Church or its members (in full, English Church).

  • 1898  (1960)  Hazleton is an extremely one horse place consisting chiefly of the Hudson's Bay Co.'s store, and another store, an Indian Agent's residence, and an English church mission of sorts.
  • 1911  "Well, I mean as how we used to be Methodys--you know that--an then we joined the English. You used to go to class-meetin', Martha--you know you did. An' I often wish I was back with the Methodys . . . they were far more sentimentaller than the English. . . ."