german

See also: German, germán, and Germán

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɜː.mən/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɝ.mən/

Etymology 1

From Old French germain, from Latin germānus. See also germane, a formal variant which has survived in specific senses. Not related to the proper noun German.

Adjective

german (comparative more german, superlative most german)

1. (obsolete except in set terms) Having the same mother and father; a full (brother or sister).

   brother-german

2. (obsolete except in set terms) Being born to one’s blood aunt or uncle, a first (cousin).

   cousin-german

   • 1567 Arthur Golding trans., Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book 1, lines 460-2:

     The doubtfull wordes whereof they scan and canvas to an fro.
     Which done, Prometheus sonne began by counsell wise and sage
     His cousin germanes fearfulnesse thus gently to asswage:

3. (obsolete) Closely related, akin.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “xj”, in Le Morte Darthur, book II (in Middle English):

     After this Merlyn told vnto kynge Arthur of the prophecye / that there shold be a grete batail besyde Salysbury and Mordred his owne sone sholde be ageynste hym / Also he tolde hym that Basdemegus was his cosyn and germayn vnto kynge Vryence

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

     The phrase would bee more Germaine.

   • c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     Wert thou a Leopard, thou wert Germane to the Lion.

Alternative forms

• germane

Derived terms

• brother german
• brother-german
• cousin-german
• cousin german
• sister-german

 

Translations

sharing parents

• Bulgarian: роден (bg) (roden)
• French: germain (fr) m, germaine (fr) f
• Georgian: ღვიძლი ძმა (ɣviʒli ʒma), ღვიძლი და (ɣviʒli da), ღვიძლი (ka) (ɣviʒli)
• Greek: αμφιθαλής (el) (amfithalís)
• Norman: gèrmain
• Portuguese: germano (pt)
• Russian: кро́вный брат m (króvnyj brat), кро́вная сестра́ f (króvnaja sestrá)
• Spanish: hermano carnal

First cousin

• French: germain (fr) m, germaine (fr) f
• Macedonian: пр́в бра́тучед m (pŕv brátučed), пр́ва бра́тучедка f (pŕva brátučedka)
• Norman: gèrmain
• Russian: двою́родный брат (ru) m (dvojúrodnyj brat), двою́родная сестра́ (ru) f (dvojúrodnaja sestrá)
• Spanish: primo carnal

Noun

german (plural germans)

1. (obsolete) A near relative.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     Which when his german saw, the stony feare / Ran to his hart, and all his sence dismayd […]

Translations

A near relative

• French: germain (fr) m, germaine (fr) f

Etymology 2

From German (“of Germany”).

Noun

german (plural germans)

1. An elaborate round dance, often with a waltz movement.
   • 1985, Betty Casey, Dance Across Texas, page 49:

     Through the years, though, the german was replaced by new and more popular dances, but in many instances the name stayed on.

2. A social party at which the german is danced.

Further reading

• German (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Engram, Magner, Manger, engram, manger, ragmen

Icelandic

Chemical element
Ge
Previous: gallín (Ga)
Next: arsen (As)

Noun

german n (genitive singular germans, no plural)

1. germanium (chemical element)

Declension

Declension of german (sg-only neuter)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	german	germanið
accusative	german	germanið
dative	germani	germaninu
genitive	germans	germansins

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

german m (definite singular germanen, indefinite plural germanar, definite plural germanane)

1. (pre-2016) alternative form of germanar

Polish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin germānium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛr.man/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛrman
• Syllabification: ger‧man
• Homophone: German

Noun

Chemical element
Ge
Previous: gal (Ga)
Next: arsen (As)

german m inan

1. germanium (chemical element)
   • 1992, Monografie z dziejów nauki i techniki, volume 150, page 133:

     Odpowiada ona germanowi (Ge) = 72,59. W prawie identyczny sposób Mendelejew wyliczył ciężar […] Liczba 73 jest zbliżona, jak wiemy, do wartości ciężaru atomowego germanu.

     It corresponds to germanium (Ge) = 72.59. In an almost identical way, Mendeleev calculated the weight […] The number 73 is, as we know, close to the value of the atomic weight of germanium.

Declension

Declension of german

	singular
nominative	german
genitive	germanu
dative	germanowi
accusative	german
instrumental	germanem
locative	germanie
vocative	germanie

Derived terms

adjective

• germanowy

 

Related terms

adjectives

• germanistyczny
• germanizacyjny
• germanizatorski
• germanofilski
• germanofobski
• germański

 

nouns

• Germania
• Germanin
• germanista
• germanistka
• germanistyka
• germanizacja
• germanizator
• germanizm
• Germanka
• germanofil
• germanofilia
• germanofilizm
• germanofilstwo
• germanofob
• germanofobia
• germanomania
• germanożerca
• germańskość

 

verbs

• germanizować impf
• zgermanizować pf

 

Further reading

• german in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• german in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Germānus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒerˈman/

Adjective

german m or n (feminine singular germană, masculine plural germani, feminine and neuter plural germane)

1. German

   Synonym: nemțesc

Declension

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	german		germană		germani	germane
	definite	germanul		germana		germanii	germanele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	german		germane		germani	germane
	definite	germanului		germanei		germanelor	germanilor

Noun

german m (plural germani, feminine equivalent germană)

1. a German person

   Synonym: neamț

Related terms

• germană

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Germānus, of uncertain origin. First attested in 1679.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jɛrˈmɑːn/
• Hyphenation: ger‧man
• Rhymes: -ɑːn

Noun

german c

1. (historical) A German, a member of the Germanic ethnic and linguistic group who lived in southern Scandinavia and northern Germany.

Declension

Declension of german

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	german	germans
	definite	germanen	germanens
plural	indefinite	germaner	germaners
	definite	germanerna	germanernas

Related terms

• Germanien
• germansk

Descendants

• → Finnish: germaani

See also

• tysk (“German”, adjective; noun)
• tyska (“German [language]”, noun)

References

• german in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)