Germanic
/dʒɜːrˈmænɪk/
adjective
Origin
Latin
Germanus — of the Germani (a tribal name of uncertain origin)
Overview
Meaning Now
- Relating to the languages or peoples of the branch of the Indo-European family that includes English, German, Dutch, and the Scandinavian languages.
- Relating to the ancient tribes of northern Europe mentioned by Latin authors.
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Latin → English
Earliest form
Germanic
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term 'Germanic' was popularized by early Roman chroniclers like Tacitus to describe disparate tribes east of the Rhine. In modern linguistics, it designates a specific branch of the Indo-European language family, distinct from the geographic or political labels associated with the modern nation-state of Germany.
Evolution
- 1st century BCE
Germani
“tribal name used by Romans for peoples east of the Rhine”
First recorded by Julius Caesar.
- Classical Latin
Germanicus
“pertaining to the Germani”
- 17th century English
Germanic
“pertaining to the German language or peoples”
Adopted into English to denote the linguistic family and the ancient tribes.
Connections
Word parts
German
root
referring to the tribes named Germani
-ic
suffix
pertaining to
Related across languages
French
germanique
Germanic
German
germanisch
Germanic
Explore next
Related to Germanic
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.