What is the root word that means black?

Root words that mean black come from several ancient languages and are used in English words. Latin root for black is niger, which means black, seen in words like Nigeria and niger seed, and also ater meaning dull black. Greek root for black is melas or melan, meaning black or dark, seen in words like melanin which is pigment that gives hair its color and when lost causes grey or gray hair, melanoma which is black tumor, and melancholy originally meaning black bile. Old English root is blæc meaning black, which became modern black. Proto-Indo-European root is bhleg meaning to burn or black. In scientific terminology, melano is common root for black, as in melanocyte cells that produce melanin. Another root is negro from Spanish and Portuguese meaning black, derived from Latin niger. For example, words like nigrescent meaning turning black use Latin root. In color terms, ebony from Egyptian for dark wood also means black. Understanding roots helps decode words, for instance melanin is black pigment, and when melanocytes stop working, hair turns grey. So main root words meaning black are Latin niger, Greek melan, and Old English blæc, with melano being most common in medical and scientific terms related to pigmentation and black color.