black (English)

Where does "black" come from?

The English adjective 'black' descends from Middle English 'blak'[1][3], which comes from Old English 'blæc', meaning 'black', 'dark', and even 'ink'[1]. This in turn traces back through Proto-West Germanic '*blak'[1][2] to Proto-Germanic '*blakaz', originally meaning 'burnt'[1] or 'scorched'[2]. The deeper lineage connects this root to Proto-Indo-European '*bʰleg-', meaning 'to burn' or 'shine'[1][2], making 'black' etymologically tied to the charred aftermath of fire. Later specialized senses reflect distinct influences, such as the meaning denoting a sullen or scowling expression, which entered modern English as a semantic loan from Cantonese '黑面' ('hak1 min6')[1].

Open questions

The derivation of Proto-Germanic '*blakaz' from Proto-Indo-European '*bʰleg-' is uncertain, with an alternative derivation from Proto-Indo-European '*mlagos' and '*melh₂-' also proposed. [1] [4]

Full etymology tree

black (English), 'Absorbing all light and reflecting none; dark and hueless.'
- inherited blak (Middle English), 'black (of a black color)'
  - inherited blæc (Old English), 'black'
    - inherited *blak (Proto-West Germanic), 'burnt, blackened'
      - inherited *blakaz (Proto-Germanic), 'burnt'

Ancestors

blak (Middle English)
blæc (Old English)
*blak (Proto-West Germanic)
*blakaz (Proto-Germanic)

Cognates and doublets

φλόξ (Ancient Greek)
blaken (Dutch)
flagro (Latin)
भर्ग (Sanskrit)

Descendants and derived words

blackcap (English)
black hole (English)
Blackophobia (English)
wack (English)
blak (Bislama)
All Blacks (English)
American black bear (English)
American black duck (English)
American black vulture (English)
anti-black (English)
antiblack (English)
Argentine black and white tegu (English)

Sources

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris