negritude
UK[ˈnɛɡrɪtjuːd]US[ˈniːɡrɪtuːd]
n
A consciousness of and pride in the cultural and physical aspects of African heritage, especially as a basis for a political and cultural movement.
Morpheme Breakdown
negrit
ude
negrit
black
ude
state or condition
Etymology
The word 'negritude' is a modern philosophical and literary construction, coined in French (négritude) in the 1930s by Aimé Césaire and Léopold Sédar Senghor. It is formed by combining the French root négrit-, derived from the Latin niger (meaning 'black'), with the abstract noun suffix -ude, from Latin -tudo, which denotes a state or condition. The term was created to articulate a positive affirmation of Black African identity, culture, and values in direct opposition to colonial racism and assimilation. Thus, its literal construction as "the state or quality of blackness" evolved into a specific, empowered concept of collective consciousness and pride.
Analysis
Structure: negrit (black) + ude (state or condition)
- negrit: From French négrit, derived from Spanish/Portuguese negro (black), ultimately from Latin niger (black). It functions as the core root denoting blackness.
- ude: A noun-forming suffix of French/Latin origin (from Latin -tudo), indicating a state, condition, or quality.
Examples
The poet's work is a powerful exploration of Negritude and the African diaspora.
The philosophy of Negritude was central to the cultural revival of the 20th century.
Her essays analyze the role of Negritude in post-colonial identity politics.