Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Neger” come from?

Neger (German) 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 (German): black; negro; nigger; cue card

Definitions

  1. black; negro; nigger; cue card

Ancestry of “Neger”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchnègrenegro; ghostwriter; friend, buddy
2Spanishnegroblack; a black person; ghost writer
3Latinnigrummasculine accusative singular of niger; neuter...
4Latinnigerwan, shining black; bad; evil; ill-omened
5Proto-Indo-Europeannókʷtsnight
6Proto-Indo-Europeannegʷ-bare, naked

Words derived from “Neger”

  • Negermusik
  • néger
  • negerbolle
  • neger
  • haleneger
  • negri
Every word from Proto-Indo-European negʷ- →