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