A man with dark skin; historically used as a general term, though the usage varies in different cultural and historical contexts.
From black (color descriptor for dark skin) + man (adult male). This compound reflects how racial categories became linguistically standardized in English during the colonial period.
The term carries the weight of how language was used to categorize and control people — racial terms in English became administrative tools of colonialism, turning descriptions into systems of power and hierarchy.
This is a surname/proper noun with gendered form. Historically, surnames with '-man' were standardized regardless of holder's gender, reflecting patriarchal naming conventions where women's names were expected to change via marriage.
When used as a generic reference to a person, prefer gender-neutral alternatives; when used as a proper surname, respect individual preference. Recognize this is someone's family name and use as given.
["blackperson","blackindividual"]
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