Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. a German person

Ancestry of “Germ”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishGermanA native or inhabitant of Germany; a person of...
2LatinGermānia—
3LatinGermānī—
4LatinGermānus—
5Latingermenshoot, sprout, bud; germ, seed, origin; embryo,...
6Proto-Italicgenamen—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵénh₁mn̥offspring, seed
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →