Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “germain” come from?

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

Ancestry of “germain”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinGermānus—
2Latingermenshoot, sprout, bud; germ, seed, origin; embryo,...
3Proto-Italicgenamen—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵénh₁mn̥offspring, seed
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth

Words derived from “germain”

  • germane
  • german
  • germaneness
  • nongermane
  • germanely
  • ungermane
  • germyl
  • monogermane
  • germylium
  • gèrmain
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →