What does "yellow" mean in reference to the colour of a slave?

Question

I have come across a couple of references to slaves in documents that refer to them as being "yellow," e.g. a yellow woman named Phillis."  What does the term yellow mean?  Is this another term for mulatto?

Answer 1

Yes, it is the same as mulatto.

Comments

I would have thought it mean 'Chinese'.

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It was in common use to describe people who were perceived as light-colored black people.

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Isn't "high yellow" also a term for those with even lighter colouration?

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I think that had a lot of connotations,

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Thank you, Kathie!

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Yes, Melanie Paul.  I don't think anyone other than Black folks use high yellow/hi yella these days.

Answer 2

Very light skinned/mixed with white.

Comments

Thank you, Anita!