Where does “kerl” come from?
kerl (German) comes from Middle Low German kerl, from Proto-Germanic karilaz, from Proto-Germanic karaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- — to grow old, to mature.
Ancestry of “kerl”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | kerl | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | karilaz | free man, franklin; little man, young man |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | karaz | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵerh₂- | to grow old, to mature |