German
Language: English
Part of speech: name
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈd͡ʒɜː.mən/
ipa: /ˈd͡ʒɝ.mən/
rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)mən
Forms: form: Germ.
Etymology: From Latin Germānus, Germānī (“the peoples of Germānia”), as distinct from Gauls (in the writings of Caesar and Tacitus), and of uncertain ultimate origin (possibly Celtic/Gaulish).
Not related to german (“closely related”) or germane (from the Latin adjective germānus, through Old French).
Attested since at least 1520. Replaced the older terms Almain and Dutch (from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz) in English. Besides cognates of German, Almain, and Dutch, two other categories of words for the Germans in other languages are cognates of Saxon and descendants of Proto-Slavic *němьcь; see those entries for more.
The surname is generally from the noun, though sometimes confused with Herman, Hermann under Russian influence. As a German surname, Americanized from Germann. Compare Germán, Germain, Jerman.
Senses: examples: text: Meronyms: Low German (Plattdeutsch), High German
text: German has three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter.
text: One of my German teachers used to joke that it takes you a year to say, “I’m traveling on the bus,” but once you’re on that bus, it’s plain sailing.
ref: 2021 April 25, John Malathronas, “Which languages are easiest – and most difficult – for native English speakers to learn?”, in CNN:
synonyms: word: Deutsch
glosses: An Indo-European (Indo-Germanic) language, primarily spoken in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, South Tyrol, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and a small part of Belgium.
glosses: A surname.
glosses: A number of townships in the United States, listed under German Township.
glosses: A parish of the sheading of Glenfaba, Isle of Man.
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Alemannic German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Austrian German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Bernese German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Central German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Colonia Tovar German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: High German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: in the original German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Low German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Middle German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Palatinate German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Palatine German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Pennsylvania German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Pennsylvanian German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Silesian German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Standard German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Swiss German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Swiss-German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Upper German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Volga German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Volhynian German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Volynian German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Walliser German
sense: Terms derived from German (proper noun)
word: Walser German