Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Nazi” come from?

Nazi (German) comes from German Nationalsozialist, from German national, from French national, from French nation, from Middle French nation, from Old French nacion, from Latin nātiō, from Latin nātus — to produce, to beget, to give birth.

Ancestry of “Nazi”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanNationalsozialistNational Socialist
2Germannationalnational; nationwide, national; nationalist
3Frenchnationalnational
4Frenchnationnation
5Middle Frenchnationnation
6Old Frenchnacionbirth; nation
7Latinnātiō—
8Latinnātus—
9Latingnātus—
10Proto-Italicgnātos—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanǵn̥h₁tósbegotten, produced
12Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →