Where does “karl” come from?

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

karl (Old High German): man

Definitions

  1. man

Ancestry of “karl”, step by step

karl traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Proto-Germanic karilaz

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

via Proto-Germanic karlaz

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanickarlazman, male; free man

Words derived from “karl”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- →Every word from Proto-Germanic karaz →Every word from Proto-Germanic karilaz →