Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Luther” come from?

Luther comes from German Luther, a occupational name for someone who played the lute, from the lute itself.

Ancestry of “Luther”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanLuther—
2Old High GermanLiutheri—
3Proto-Germanic*Liudihari—
4Proto-Germanic*hari—
5Proto-Germanicharjazarmy; army leader; commander; warrior
6Proto-Indo-Europeankóryoswar; troops; army; war, troops
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱer-to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-to turn, to bend
9Proto-Indo-Europeanker-army

Words derived from “Luther”

  • Lutherism
  • Lutherist
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ker- →