german
/ˈd͡ʒɝ.mən/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.95 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A size of type between American and Saxon, 1+¹⁄₂-point type.
American usage; Dated; Uncountable
name
An Indo-European (Indo-Germanic) language, primarily spoken in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, South Tyrol, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and a small part of Belgium.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "The holiday evolved over centuries as it was observed by different groups, from the Celts to Germans to the Pennsylvania Dutch and eventually, by those in other parts of the US."
- "Rome was sacked by Germans and the Western Roman Empire collapsed."
- "[…] tie them tightly in a thickly floured cloth, and boil them for three hours and a half. We can recommend this as a remarkably light small rich pudding : it may be served with German, wine, or punch sauce."
- "The wine list harbours some great bottles, mature clarets and Burgundies as well as a clutch of fine Germans (gold-dust these days in restaurants) […]"
- "In my German, they calling me a baller (skrr) Got me feeling like Özil"
- "There are some 32 different terms for prison officers, from the humorously affectionate kanga(rhyming slang:kangaroo = screw) and the variants Scooby-Doo and Dr. Who via the mildly confrontational German (as if still the enemy over 50 years after World War II!) to the outright abuse of shit-parcel."
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.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: Germānus, -
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈd͡ʒɝ.mən/
- British English: /ˈd͡ʒɜː.mən/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Germans (plural)
Germ. (alternative, abbreviation)
more German (comparative)
most German (superlative)
Germanest (superlative)
germane (alternative)