1550s, "act of separating" (a sense now obsolete); 1610s, "act or action of segregating, separation from others," from Late Latin segregationem (nominative segregatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of segregare (see segregate). Meaning "state or condition of being segregated" is from 1660s. Specific U.S. sense of "enforced separation of races" is attested from 1883.
1540s, "separate (someone or something) from a general body or class of things," from Latin segregatus, past participle of segregare "set apart, lay aside; isolate; divide," literally "separate from the flock," from *se gregare, from se "apart from" (see se-) + grege, ablative of grex "herd, flock" (from PIE root *ger- "to gather").
Originally often with reference to the religious notion of separating the flock of the godly from the sinners, later scientifically in reference to classifications. In modern social context, "to force or enforce racial separation and exclusion," by 1898. Intransitive sense of "separate, go apart" is by 1863. Related: Segregated; segregating.
"having the power or tendency of separating," 1580s, from Medieval Latin segregativus, from Latin segregare "set apart, lay aside; isolate; divide" (see segregate (v.)).
1610s, "act of bringing together the parts of a whole," from French intégration and directly from Late Latin integrationem (nominative integratio) "renewal, restoration," noun of action from past participle stem of Latin integrare "make whole," also "renew, begin again" (see integrate). Anti-discrimination sense (opposed to segregation) is recorded from 1934.
"the abolition of racial segregation," 1935, American English, from de- "the opposite of" + segregation in the racial sense.
1947 (the policy was officially begun 1948), "segregation of European from non-European people in South Africa," from Afrikaans apartheid (1929 in a South African socio-political context), literally "separateness," from Dutch apart "separate" (from French àpart; see apart) + suffix -heid, which is cognate with English -hood. The official English synonym was separate development (1955).
"Segregation" is such an active word that it suggests someone is trying to segregate someone else. So the word "apartheid" was introduced. Now it has such a stench in the nostrils of the world, they are referring to "autogenous development." [Alan Paton, New York Times, Oct. 24, 1960]
"abolish racial segregation" (in schools, etc.), 1948, back-formation from desegregation. Related: Desegregated; desegregating.
"adherent or advocate of racial segregation," 1915, from segregation + -ist.
"black man," 1838, American English, originally the name of a black minstrel character in a popular song-and-dance act by T.D. Rice (1808-1860) that debuted 1828 and attained national popularity by 1832:
Wheel about, an' turn about, an' do jis so;
Eb'ry time I wheel about, I jump Jim Crow.
Where and how Rice got it, or wrote it, is a mystery. Even before that, crow (n.) had been a derogatory term for a black man. As an adjective from 1833, in reference to the song. Association with segregation dates from 1841, in reference to separate railroad cars for blacks in Massachusetts. Modern use as a type of racial discrimination is from 1943. Jim Crow also could be a reference to someone's change of (political) principles (1837, from the "jump" in the song) or reversible machinery (1875, "wheel about").
On his arrival in Boston, Mr. [Charles Lenox] R[emond] went to the Eastern rail-road depot, in order to visit his parents in Salem; but, instead of being allowed to ride with other passengers, he was compelled to take a seat in what is contemptuously called the "Jim Crow car," as though he were a leper or a wild animal! [Annual Report of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, 1842]
