Complexioned. Henry C. Knight (‘Arthur Singleton’) notes this as a New England expression, 1814 (‘Letters from the South and West,’ p. 30). The transition is shown in the quotations. Mr. Farmer is clearly mistaken (1888) in calling the word a newfangled Western barbarism.
1800. He is tall and dark complectioned.—Advt., Mass. Mercury, May 27.
1813. [A runaway] slender built and light of a complexion.—Advt., Mass. Spy, May 26.
1819. Hence arose a race of light-complexioned men.—H. C. McMurtrie, ‘Sketches of Louisville,’ p. 103.
1824. [Edward Irving] is a dark-complexioned, savage-looking fellow, quite violent in his gestures and delivery; and if he had a long beard would look more like Lorenzo Dow than any one I know of.—Letter to The Register, Feb. 16.
1828. The said negro is … stout made; black complected. [The printer has it compleeted.]—Runaway advt., Richmond Enquirer, Feb. 2, p. 4/3.
1839. In one corner of the fire-place were huddled a baker’s dozen of ‘yellow-complected’ brats.—Knick. Mag., xiv. 141 (Aug.).
1840. The house-keeper relented a little, and said she would allow he was the most beautiful-complected child she had ever seen.—Id., xv. 131 (Feb.).
1855. Taken up, and committed to the Jail of New Hanover County [N.C.], on the 5th of March, 1855, a Negro Man, who says his name is Edward Lloyd. Said negro is about 35 or 40 years old, light complected, &c.—Olmsted, ‘Cotton Kingdom,’ i. 157 (Lond.).
1859. Mr. Staples was a walking with a light complected woman.—B. P. Shillaber, ‘Knitting Work,’ p. 157 (Boston).
1859. Ada, a gipsey-complected girl of seventeen summers, who was full enough of vivacity and excitement to be always ready to embrace any project provided it was new or strange.—Mrs. Duniway, ‘Captain Gray’s Company,’ p. 45 (Portland, Oregon).
1878. ’Twas a dreadful dark-complected man, reel spry appearin’, one that looked as though his name was Smart, now I tell ye.—Rose T. Cooke, ‘Cal Culver and the Devil,’ Harper’s Magazine, lvii. p. 583/2 (Sept.).
1896. I’d like to know what they always name dark-complected babies Lily fer!—Ella Higginson, ‘Tales of Puget Sound,’ p. 96.
1901. She ’s a trifle dark complected.—F. Bret Harte, ‘A Pupil of Chestnut Ridge.’
