Etymology Explorer › Icelandic

Where does “karl” come from?

karl (Icelandic) comes from Old Norse karl, from Proto-Norse ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ, from Proto-Germanic karilaz, from Proto-Germanic karaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- — to grow old, to mature.

karl (Icelandic): man; husband; male of a species

Definitions

  1. man; husband; male of a species

Ancestry of “karl”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsekarla man
2Proto-Norseᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ—
3Proto-Germanickarilazfree man, franklin; little man, young man
4Proto-Germanickaraz—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵerh₂-to grow old, to mature

Words derived from “karl”

  • hákarl
  • karlfugl
  • karlfauskur
  • karlkyn
  • karlremba
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- →