Linea Nigra
/ˈlɪn.i.ə ˈnaɪ.ɡrə/noun
A dark vertical line that may appear on the abdomen, especially during pregnancy, because of increased pigmentation.
Did you know?The term is Latin rather than a modern invention: linea nigra is the feminine form of “black line,” matching linea, a feminine Latin noun.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*līno-
“Flax or linen; the ancient root associated with thread and linen fiber”
Classical Latin
Latin
līnea
“A linen thread, cord, line, or boundary drawn with one”
Classical Latin
Latin
niger; nigra
“Black or dark-colored; nigra is the feminine form”
Medieval Latin
Latin
linea nigra
“Literally, “black line,” used as a descriptive anatomical phrase”
19th–20th Century
Medical English
linea nigra
“The established clinical name for the dark abdominal pigmentation often seen in pregnancy”
Modern English
English
linea nigra
“A vertical hyperpigmented line on the abdomen, commonly associated with pregnancy”