Where does “Blackamoor” come from?
Blackamoor (English) comes from Old English blæc, from Proto-West Germanic blaik, from Proto-Germanic blaikaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰloyǵ-os, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleyǵ- — to shine.
Blackamoor (English): A Moor
Ancestry of “Blackamoor”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | blæc | black; ink |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | blaik | pale, white |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | blaikaz | pale, white |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰloyǵ-os | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰleyǵ- | to shine |