Where does “Black” come from?
Black comes from Middle English blak, from Old Norse bleikr, from Proto-Germanic blaikaz, from Proto-Indo-European bhleg-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰleyǵ-.
Black (English): Alternative letter-case form of black
Definitions
- Alternative letter-case form of black
Ancestry of “Black”, step by step
Black traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French blanc
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | blanc | white |
| 2 | Late Latin | blancus | white |
| 3 | Frankish | blank | bright; gleaming, white, blinding; bright,... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *blank | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | blankaz | bright, shining, white, gleaming, blinding |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bhleg- | to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch |