Where does “Luther” come from?
Luther comes from German Luther, a occupational name for someone who played the lute, from the lute itself.
Luther (English): Martin Luther, German monk and theologian whose teaching inspired the Reformation
Definitions
- Martin Luther, German monk and theologian whose teaching inspired the Reformation
Ancestry of “Luther”, step by step
Luther traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via German Luther
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Luther | — |
| 2 | Old High German | Liutheri | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *Liudihari | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *hari | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | harjaz | army; army leader; commander; warrior |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kóryos | war; troops; army; war, troops |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |
via Old High German liut
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | liut | people |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | liudīz | man, person |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁léwdʰis | people |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁lewdʰ- | to grow; people |
via Middle English luthier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | luthier | lute player |