Where does “black” come from?

black (Middle English) comes from Middle English blak, from Old English blæc, from Proto-West Germanic blaik, from Proto-Germanic blaikaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰloyǵ-os, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleyǵ- — to shine.

black (Middle English): Alternative form of blak

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of blak

Ancestry of “black”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishblakblack; black-haired; dark, blackish
2Old Englishblæcblack; ink
3Proto-West Germanicblaikpale, white
4Proto-Germanicblaikazpale, white
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰloyǵ-os—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleyǵ-to shine

Words derived from “black”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰleyǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰloyǵ-os →Every word from Proto-Germanic blaikaz →