Where does “nonwhite” come from?
Nonwhite combines English non- with white, which derives from Proto-Indo-European h₁néwn̥ meaning new or bright through Latin novem and ultimately refers to the color of newness.
nonwhite (English): Not white in color; Not belonging to the white...
Definitions
- Not white in color; Not belonging to the white...
Ancestry of “nonwhite”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | White | Alternative letter-case form of white; An... |
| 2 | English | sox | plural of sock |
| 3 | English | socks | plural of sock; Third-person singular simple... |
| 4 | English | sock | A knitted or woven covering for the foot; A shoe... |
| 5 | French | soc | plowshare; Boston butt |
| 6 | Vulgar Latin | soccus | — |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | sukkos | pig (snout) |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | suH- | pig, hog, swine |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sewH- | to bear; to give birth |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | sew- | to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to... |