German

The etymology of German, from which the name we refer to Germany was derived, is germaine, which means brethren

german definition

ger·man (jʉr′mən)

adjective

closely related: now chiefly in compounds, meaning

having the same parents a brother-german
having the same grandparents on either the father's side or the mother's a cousin-german is a first cousin

Etymology: ME germain, german < OFr germain < L germanus, akin to germen, a sprout, germ

75% of my friends and relatives have German ancestry, and it's likely that a similar percentage of all Americans do.

German definition

Ger·man (jʉr′mən)

noun

a person born or living in Germany
the West Germanic language spoken chiefly in Germany, Austria, and certain parts of Switzerland, technically called New High German
1. a complicated dance for many couples in which partners are changed often
2. a party at which the german is danced

Etymology: ME (only in pl.) < ML Germanus < L, prob. < Celt

adjective

of Germany or its people, language, or culture

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

german Synonyms

German

modif.

Germanic, Deutsch, Hoch-deutsch (both German), Teutonic, Prussian, Saxon, Bavarian, Rhenish, Thuringian, Hanoverian, Swabian, Franconian, thorough, systematic, gemÃ¼tlich (German).

Deutschland definition

Deutsch·land (do̵ic̸h′länt′)

Germany

Etymology: Ger < Deutsch, German (< OHG diutisc, of the people < OHG thioda, akin to OE theod & OIr tuoth, people < IE *teutā-, crowd < base *tēu-, to swell > thumb, thousand < L tumere, to swell) + OHG -isc, -ish + Ger land, land