negroid
Meaning
(Anthropology, dated and now offensive). Relating to or denoting a racial grouping of humans traditionally characterized by dark skin and tightly curled hair.
(Anthropology, dated and now offensive). A person belonging to the Negroid racial grouping.
Structure
Usage
The outdated anthropological text divided humanity into three major groups: Caucasoid, Mongoloid, and Negroid.
The term Negroid is considered pejorative and scientifically invalid in modern discourse.
Early 20th-century racial theories often relied on classifications like Negroid, which have since been thoroughly discredited.
Etymology
The term "Negroid" is a compound formed in the 19th century within the framework of now-discredited scientific racial classification. Its first element, "negr-", is derived from the Latin word niger, meaning "black", which was historically used as a descriptor for skin color. The suffix "-oid", from Greek, means "resembling" or "having the form of". Thus, the word was constructed to literally mean "resembling black" or "Negro-like", categorizing people based on perceived physical characteristics. Its formation reflects a taxonomic approach to human diversity that has been superseded by modern genetic and anthropological understanding, and the term is considered archaic and offensive in contemporary usage.
Analysis
- negr: From Latin niger (black). In this word, it functions as the root indicating the color black. - oid: From Greek -oeidēs (resembling, having the form of). In this word, it functions as a suffix meaning "resembling" or "like".