black-skinned

The compound adjective "black-skinned" is a transparent descriptive formation within English. Its first element, "black," originates from the Proto-Germanic blakaz, which carried the core sense of "burned" or "shining," a duality reflecting how fire can create both darkness and light. This evolved into the Old English blæc, solidifying its primary association with the darkest color. The second element derives from Old Norse skinn, referring specifically to an animal's pelt or hide, which entered English and broadened to mean human skin. When combined with the adjectival suffix -ed, it forms a participle meaning "having skin of a specified kind." Thus, the term's logic is directly literal, constructing its modern meaning from the straightforward combination of a color descriptor and a physical characteristic.

Structure: black (color) + skinned (having skin) - black: From Old English blæc, meaning "dark, ink." A Germanic root describing the color. - skinned: From Old Norse skinn, meaning "animal hide, pelt," combined with the English past participle suffix -ed, indicating a state or condition.