Creole peoples were a mixture of people of European ancestry and slave populations (or free men and women of color). They were also referred to as "criollos", a word from the Spanish language meaning "created" and used in the post-French governance period to distinguish the two groups of New Orleans area and down river Creoles. Both mixed race and European Creole groups share many traditions and language, but their socio-economic roots differed in the original period of Louisiana history. Actually, the French word Creole is derived from the Portuguese word "Crioulo", which described Spaniards born in the Americas as opposed to Spain.
Houtman Abrolhos eyes open"), but this has been shown to be a false etymology. In the Portuguese language of the time, "abrolhos" meant "spiked obstructions", and served not only as a word for offshore reefs, but also as their word for caltrops and chevaux de frise. To Spanish ears, however, the word sounded like "abre ojos" ("open your eyes"), so they imputed this meaning, and this false etymology was later borrowed by English, Dutch and French writers. See abrojo wiktionary entry. Why Houtman named the islands using a Portuguese word remains a subject of debate. John Forsyth states that the islands are