Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “germ” come from?

Germ comes from German Keim, from Latin germen meaning "sprout" or "bud," from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- meaning "to produce" or "give birth."

germ (English): The small mass of cells from which a new organism...

Definitions

  1. The small mass of cells from which a new organism...

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

Words derived from “germ”

  • Germ
  • germline
  • germicide
  • germinoma
  • dysgerminoma
  • germy
  • germless
  • germling
  • germing
  • germophobe
  • germband
  • germophobic
  • antigerm
  • germproof
  • degerm
  • multigerm
  • germlike
  • degermation
  • germule
  • germogen
  • germiness
  • pangermism
  • germ-fear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →