Where does “German” come from?
German (Swedish) 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 “German”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | Germānus | — |
| 2 | Latin | germen | shoot, sprout, bud; germ, seed, origin; embryo,... |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | genamen | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁mn̥ | offspring, seed |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |