# shvartze

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈʃvɑɹtsə/

## Definitions
1. A person of sub-Saharan African descent; a black person.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Yiddish שוואַרצע (shvartse), feminine and plural form of שוואַרץ (shvarts, “black”). The generalization of the form was likely reinforced by the frequent use referring to black female domestic workers, although forms in -e/-a and -er would have merged in any case in a non-rhotic accent such as New York English. The context of domestic workers may also be that in which the word received a derogatory connotation, which of course it did not originally have (cf. German Schwarzer, the politically correct term for “black person”). Doublet of swart.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shvartze