Where does “blackbirding” come from?
blackbirding (English) comes from English blackbird, from English Black, from Old French blanc, from Late Latin blancus, from Frankish blank, from Proto-Germanic *blank, from Proto-Germanic blankaz, from Proto-Indo-European bhleg- — to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch.
blackbirding (English): The practice of kidnapping Pacific Islanders, or...
Definitions
- The practice of kidnapping Pacific Islanders, or...
Ancestry of “blackbirding”, step by step
blackbirding traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English blackbird
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | blackbird | A common true thrush, "Turdus merula", found in... |
| 2 | English | Black | Alternative letter-case form of black |
| 3 | Old French | blanc | white |
| 4 | Late Latin | blancus | white |
| 5 | Frankish | blank | bright; gleaming, white, blinding; bright,... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *blank | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | blankaz | bright, shining, white, gleaming, blinding |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bhleg- | to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch |
via English ing
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ing | A meadow, especially a low meadow near a river;... |
| 2 | Middle English | ing | — |
| 3 | Old English | ing | meadow, water meadow, ing |
| 4 | Old Norse | eng | meadow |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | angijō | A low lying meadow in a valley or near a river |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énkos | curve, bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |