Where does “neger” come from?
neger (English) comes from French nègre, from Spanish negro, from Latin nigrum, from Latin niger, from Proto-Indo-European nókʷts, from Proto-Indo-European negʷ- — bare, naked.
neger (English): Synonym of nigger
Ancestry of “neger”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | nègre | negro; ghostwriter; friend, buddy |
| 2 | Spanish | negro | black; a black person; ghost writer |
| 3 | Latin | nigrum | masculine accusative singular of niger; neuter... |
| 4 | Latin | niger | wan, shining black; bad; evil; ill-omened |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | nókʷts | night |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | negʷ- | bare, naked |