Langobard
/ˈlæŋ.ɡəˌbɑːrd/noun
A member of a Germanic people who ruled parts of Italy in the early Middle Ages.
Did you know?The name Langobard is traditionally explained by the old Germanic elements *langaz* (“long”) + *bardaz* (“beard”), though some scholars have proposed later legendary reinterpretations of the name.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*Langaz Bardaz*
““Long beard” or “long-bearded one,” the traditional Germanic explanation for the tribal name”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Langobardi
“The Langobards, a Germanic people known to Roman writers”
Early Medieval
Old High German
Langobarden
“The Lombards, especially the people who entered and ruled Italy”
Middle English
English
Lumbard / Lombard
“A Lombard; later also a banker or moneylender, from the people associated with Italian finance”
Modern English
English
Lombard
“A member of the Lombard people; also the name of the Lombard language or related historical/cultural terms”