Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “racial” come from?

racial (English) comes from English race, from Middle French race, from Italian razza, from Italian razzo, from Italian raggio, from Latin radius, from English -án, from Middle English -an.

racial (English): Of or relating to a race; A skill possessed by...

Definitions

  1. Of or relating to a race; A skill possessed by...

Ancestry of “racial”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishraceA contest between people, animals, vehicles, etc....
2Middle Frenchracerace; breed
3Italianrazzarace, breed; kind, type; family, descent
4Italianrazzoskyrocket; Ellipsis of razzo di segnalazione;...
5Italianraggioray, beam, shaft; spoke; radius
6Latinradiusray; staff, rod; spoke
7English-án—
8Middle English-an—

Words derived from “racial”

  • racially
  • interracial
  • multiracial
  • biracial
  • racialization
  • racialism
  • racialist
  • transracial
  • ethnoracial
  • nonracial
  • multiracialism
  • intraracial
  • monoracial
  • racialisation
  • interracially
  • racialize
  • nonracialism
  • interracialism
  • transracially
  • socioracial
  • postracial
  • biracialism
  • triracial
  • antiracial
Every word from Middle English -an →