Teuton

Meaning

Noun

• A member of an early Germanic tribe living in Jutland noted in historical writings by Greek and Roman authors.
• A member of the Teutonic Order.
• A member of any Germanic-language-speaking people, especially a German.

Origin

• Attested since 1720, from Latin Teutonēs, Teutonī (cf. Ancient Greek Τεύτονες), a Germanic or Celtic tribe that inhabited a coastal area in today's Germany and devastated Gaul between 113 and 101 BCE. Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂ ("people"), from which come:
• Proto-Celtic *toutā (whence Old Irish túath),
• Proto-Germanic *þeudanaz ("ruler, leader of the people") (whence Gothic 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 ("king"),
• Old Norse þjóðann ("prince, king"),
• Old Saxon þiudan ("lord of the people, ruler"),
• Old English þēoden ("king, lord")),
• Proto-Germanic *þeudō ("people") (whence Old English þēod ("nation, people, country, language")),
• Russian чужо́й ("stranger"),
• чудно,
• чу́до,
• the English word Dutch
• and the German autonym deutsch. Also cognate with English thede.