Negro

First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish and Portuguese negro “black,” from Latin nigrum, masculine accusative of niger “black”

See Black¹.

When Negro first appears in print in English in the mid-16th century, the word was nearly always capitalized. The spelling “negro” (uncapitalized) first appears toward the end of the 18th century, and the uncapitalized form remained standard until the 20th century. Three very important recommendations for the capitalized form come from: 1) W.E.B. Du Bois, “I shall throughout this study use the term ‘Negro’, to designate all persons of Negro descent, although the appellation is to some extent illogical. I shall, moreover, capitalize the word, because I believe that eight million Americans are entitled to a capital letter.” ( The Philadelphia Negro. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1899, Chapter I). 2) Harper's Weekly (2 June 1906), “Professor Booker T. Washington, being politely interrogated...as to whether negroes ought to be called ‘negroes’ or ‘members of the colored race’ has replied that it has long been his own practice to write and speak of members of his race as negroes, and when using the term ‘negro’ as a race designation, to employ the capital ‘N’.” 3) The New York Times (7 March 1930), “‘Negro’ is now added to the list of words to be capitalized. It is not merely a typographical change; it is an act in recognition of racial self-respect.”