Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “octoroon” come from?

octoroon (English) comes from English octo-, from Latin octō, from Proto-Italic oktō, from Proto-Indo-European oḱtṓw, from Proto-Indo-European aḱ- — sharp, pointed; sharp, pointed, edgy; sharp,...

octoroon (English): Someone having one-eighth black ancestry; Someone...

Definitions

  1. Someone having one-eighth black ancestry; Someone...

Ancestry of “octoroon”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishocto-Greek number...
2Latinoctō—
3Proto-Italicoktōeight
4Proto-Indo-Europeanoḱtṓweight
5Proto-Indo-Europeanaḱ-sharp, pointed; sharp, pointed, edgy; sharp,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European aḱ- →