English
Negrillo
Negrillo comes from Spanish negrillo ‘diminutive of negro’, from negro ‘black’, and ultimately from Latin nigrum.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnigrum
- Spanishc. 1500–presentnegro‘black’
- Spanish, derivedc. 1500–presentnegrillo‘diminutive of negro’
- Englishearliest quotation 1848Negrillo
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnigrum
- Spanishc. 1500–presentnegro‘black’
- Spanish, derivedc. 1500–presentnegrillo‘diminutive of negro’
- Englishearliest quotation 1848Negrillo
Earliest quotation: 1848, United States exloring expedition, United States Exploring Expedition: During the Year 1838: “Negrillo children are sometimes caught and held in slavery;…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *negʷ- ‘bare, naked’
night, naked, nude, gymnastics, noir, nigger, nocturnal, gymnasium, actin, gymnast, naga, nox, denigrate, nocturne, nigella, nudism, negroni, 50 more
through Latin nigrum
Today it means
noun An African Pygmy.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin nigrum / Negrillo