Germanic
/dʒɝːˈmæn.ɪk/noun
Relating to the branch of Indo-European languages that includes English, German, Dutch, and the Scandinavian languages.
Did you know?“Germanic” ultimately comes from a Latin label, Germanicus, used by Romans for peoples beyond the Rhine, so the name of the language family was first an outsider’s tag, not a self-chosen identity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵʰer-
“to be old; mature”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵʰer-/*ǵʰerh₂-
“to call, shout”
Latin
Latin
Germanicus
“of the Germans; Roman label for peoples east of the Rhine”
Late Latin
Latin
Germanicus
“relating to the German peoples or their territory”
16th Century
English
Germanic
“pertaining to the German peoples and languages”
Modern English
English
Germanic
“relating to the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages”