Where does “blackamoor” come from?

blackamoor (English) comes from English blackmoor, 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 person with dark skin, especially one from...

Definitions

  1. A person with dark skin, especially one from...

Ancestry of “blackamoor”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishblackmoorAlternative form of blackamoor
2Old Englishblæcblack; ink
3Proto-West Germanicblaikpale, white
4Proto-Germanicblaikazpale, white
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰloyǵ-os—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleyǵ-to shine
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰleyǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰloyǵ-os →Every word from Proto-Germanic blaikaz →