Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “german” come from?

German comes from Latin Germani, the Roman name for the Germanic peoples, derived from Latin germen meaning "sprout" or "offspring," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- meaning "to produce" or "beget."

german (English): Having the same mother and father; a full; Being...

Definitions

  1. Having the same mother and father; a full; Being...

Ancestry of “german”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchgermain—
2LatinGermānus—
3Latingermenshoot, sprout, bud; germ, seed, origin; embryo,...
4Proto-Italicgenamen—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵénh₁mn̥offspring, seed
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth

Words derived from “german”

  • germane
  • germaneness
  • nongermane
  • germanely
  • ungermane
  • germyl
  • monogermane
  • germylium
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →