n. — Fur trade, historical
a common-law marriage between a European man and an Aboriginal woman.
Type: 1. Origin — Country marriages were a widespread and common phenomenon in Canada during the fur trade (see Van Kirk 1980). They were essential in forming alliances between indigenous groups and traders. In French, the term is "à la façon du pays", 'in the fashion of the country'. The practice goes back to the late 18th century (see the 1829 quotation under country-born), yet the term country marriage, while used at the time (see the 1900 quotation), is difficult to track in written sources.
See also COD-2, which labels the term "Cdn hist."