Word origin
[1645–55; ‹ L
nigritūdō blackness, black color, equiv. to
nigr- (s. of
niger) black +
-i- -i- +
-tūdō -tude]This word is first recorded in the period 1645–55. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: bulletin, complex, cruise, herringbone, swab-i- is the typical ending of the first element of compounds of Latin words, as -o- is of Greek words, but often used in English with a first element of any origin,if the second element is of Latin origin. Other words that use the affix -i- include: Frenchify, cuneiform; -tude is a suffix appearing in abstract nouns (generally formed from Latin adjectives orparticiples) of Latin origin (latitude; altitude). On this model, -tude is, used in the formation of new nouns (platitude)