Where does “Germ” come from?
Germ comes from English German, from Latin germen meaning "sprout" or "seed," from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- meaning "to produce" or "give birth."
Germ (English): a German person
Definitions
- a German person
Ancestry of “Germ”, step by step
Germ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English German
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | German | A native or inhabitant of Germany; a person of... |
| 2 | Latin | Germānia | Germany in its various senses, including |
| 3 | Latin | Germānī | Native people or tribes of ancient Germania, mentioned by Julius Caesar and Tacitus |
| 4 | Latin | Germānus | — |
| 5 | Latin | germen | shoot, sprout, bud; germ, seed, origin; embryo,... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | genamen | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁mn̥ | offspring, seed |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |
via Middle French germe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | germe | seed |