Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “germes” come from?

germes (French) comes from French germe, from Latin germen, from Proto-Italic genamen, from Proto-Indo-European ǵénh₁mn̥, from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- — to produce, to beget, to give birth.

germes (French): plural of germe; second-person singular present...

Definitions

  1. plural of germe; second-person singular present...

Ancestry of “germes”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchgermegerm; seed; bulb
2Latingermenshoot, sprout, bud; germ, seed, origin; embryo,...
3Proto-Italicgenamen—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵénh₁mn̥offspring, seed
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →