Blackophobia (English)
Where does "Blackophobia" come from?
The term "blackophobia" is a modern English compound formed by combining "black" with the suffix "-phobia." The root word "black" descends from the Old English "blæc," which traces back to Proto-Germanic and eventually Proto-Indo-European origins associated with burning or scorching. This linguistic history reflects how a term originally describing an object's appearance or burned state has been adapted to describe a specific form of social prejudice.
Full etymology tree
- Blackophobia (English), 'A fear or dislike of black people, especially African-Americans.'
- compound 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'
- derived *bʰlogos (Pre-Germanic)
- derived *bʰleg- (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *mlagos (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *melh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to grind, to crush'
- derived *bʰlogos (Pre-Germanic)
- inherited *blakaz (Proto-Germanic), 'burnt'
- inherited *blak (Proto-West Germanic), 'burnt, blackened'
- inherited blæc (Old English), 'black'
- inherited blak (Middle English), 'black (of a black color)'
- compound phobia (English), 'An irrational, abnormal, or obsessive fear (of something).'
- derived φόβος (phóbos) (Ancient Greek), 'fear, terror, alarm, fright, panic'
- compound black (English), 'Absorbing all light and reflecting none; dark and hueless.'
Direct ancestors
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris