grey, adjective
- Origin:
- EnglishShow more Special use of English grey intermediate in character, here influenced by the frequent use of ‘Black’ and ‘White’ to designate areas.
Of or pertaining to a residential area in which people of differing ethnic backgrounds live as neighbours, formerly often illegally but by common consent; often in the collocation grey area. See also open adjective.
1978 Sunday Times 29 Oct. 16The solutions offered are as diverse as the contributors, ranging from city states to ‘grey areas’ and NRP-type consociational democracy...Prof Marais’s solution is the establishment of large black cities in the homelands or on their borders. ‘Alongside these cities — but in white areas — there should be black cities where provision is made for the blacks who do not come from the nearby homelands, as well as for blacks where ethnic differences do not play such an important role — the “grey cities”.’
1993 C. Engelbrecht in Weekly Mail & Guardian 5 Nov. 18‘Red-lining’ — the banks’ refusal to lend in areas which are going ‘grey’ — will be one of the most critical problems facing a new government after April next year.
- Derivatives:
- Hence grey noun nonce, one living in a grey area; greying verbal noun, desegregating (of a residential, or, less commonly, business area), whether legal or illegal.1987 N. Kutumela in Frontline May 16Let me and my fellow ‘greys’ continue to live our colourless existence. Let the government arrest the political stuntmen who are inciting conflict and disturbance in Hillbrow, instead of arresting us peaceful citizens who are revelling in the rich and full life which Hillbrow gives us.1992 P. Bond in Weekly Mail 16 Apr. 17Whether you’re a home-owner in Bloubosrand or a tenant in Hillbrow, you have a common problem: banks can switch off access to credit..at a moments notice...The catalyst might be..a critical mass of residential ‘greying’.
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