neger (Danish)
Where does "neger" come from?
The Danish noun 'neger' derives from the French word 'nègre'[1], which itself stems from the Spanish 'negro'[1][4]. The Spanish term traces back to Latin 'niger', meaning 'black'[1], through the accusative form 'nigrum'[6]. The Latin root 'niger' has an uncertain origin, with some proposals linking it to the Proto-Indo-European root '*negʷ-' meaning 'bare' or 'naked'[3].
Open questions
- The ultimate origin of Latin niger is uncertain, with a possible connection to Proto-Indo-European *negʷ- remaining speculative. [3]
Full etymology tree
- neger (Danish), 'a ghostwriter'
- borrowed nègre (French), 'negro'
- inherited negre (Middle French), 'person of African descent'
- borrowed negro (Spanish), 'black (the color perceived in the absence of light)'
- inherited nigrum (Latin), 'inflection of niger:'
- inherited niger (Latin), 'wan, shining black (as opposed to āter, dull black)'
- derived *negʷ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'bare, naked'
- inherited niger (Latin), 'wan, shining black (as opposed to āter, dull black)'
- inherited nigrum (Latin), 'inflection of niger:'
- borrowed negro (Spanish), 'black (the color perceived in the absence of light)'
- inherited negre (Middle French), 'person of African descent'
- borrowed nègre (French), 'negro'
Ancestors
- nègre (French)
- negro (Spanish)
- niger (Latin)
Sources
- neger (Danish) - Wiktionary
- negro (Spanish) - Wiktionary
- niger (Latin) - Wiktionary
- nègre (French) - Wiktionary
- negro (Portuguese) - Wiktionary
- negre (Middle French) - Wiktionary
- negro (Old Galician-Portuguese) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris