Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “niger” come from?

niger (Latin) comes from Proto-Indo-European nókʷts, from Proto-Indo-European negʷ- — bare, naked.

niger (Latin): wan, shining black; bad; evil; ill-omened

Definitions

  1. wan, shining black; bad; evil; ill-omened

Ancestry of “niger”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Indo-Europeannókʷtsnight
2Proto-Indo-Europeannegʷ-bare, naked

Words derived from “niger”

  • Negro
  • negro
  • Nigel
  • nigger
  • noir
  • nigga
  • necromancy
  • nog
  • negritude
  • eggnog
  • Negrito
  • cabernet
  • negroid
  • niello
  • Niggertown
  • noirish
  • Negrophobia
  • nigritude
  • neger
  • nigrescence
  • nogging
  • niggerhead
  • Negrohood
  • negrophobic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European negʷ- →