▁and ▁so ▁forth '. ▁ ▁Half - c aste ▁in ▁other ▁languages ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁half - c aste ▁was ▁common ▁in ▁British ▁colon ies , ▁however ▁not ▁exclusive . ▁Other ▁colonial ▁govern ments ▁such ▁as ▁Spain ▁de vised ▁terms ▁for ▁the ▁mixed - race ▁children . ▁The ▁Spanish ▁colon ies ▁de vised ▁a ▁complex ▁system ▁of ▁cast as , ▁consisting ▁of ▁Mul atto es , ▁M est iz os , ▁and ▁many ▁others . ▁The ▁French ▁colon ies ▁used ▁terms ▁such ▁as ▁M ét is , ▁while ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁used ▁the ▁term ▁M esti ço . ▁French ▁colon ies ▁in ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁referred ▁to ▁half - c aste ▁people ▁as ▁Ch ab ine ▁( f em ale ) ▁and ▁Ch ab in ▁( male ). ▁Before ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁the ▁term ▁mest ee ▁was ▁common ▁for ▁certain ▁people ▁of ▁mixed ▁descent . ▁ ▁Other ▁terms ▁in ▁use ▁in ▁colonial ▁era ▁for ▁half - cast es ▁included ▁- ▁cre ole , ▁cas co , ▁c af uso , ▁cab ure t , ▁catt alo , ▁cit range , ▁gr iffe , ▁half ▁blood , ▁half - bre d , ▁half - bre ed , ▁high ▁yellow , ▁hin ny , ▁hy brid , ▁lad ino , ▁l iger , ▁m am alu co , ▁mix blo od , ▁mixed - blo od , ▁m ong rel , ▁m ule , ▁must ee , ▁o ctor oon , ▁pl um cot , ▁quad ro on , ▁qu intro on ,