Where does “dütsch” come from?
dütsch (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon thiudisk, from Proto-West Germanic þiudisk, from Proto-Germanic þiudiskaz, from Proto-Germanic þeudō, from Proto-Indo-European tewtéh₂, from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.
Ancestry of “dütsch”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Saxon | thiudisk | of the people |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | þiudisk | of the people, popular, vernacular |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | þiudiskaz | of the people, popular; of the tribe |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | þeudō | people, tribe |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | tewtéh₂ | people, tribe |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tewh₂- | to swell; to crowd; to be strong |