Why is German Called Deutsch? The Origin Explained

Discover the origin of the word 'Deutsch' and its meaning related to the German language.

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German is called 'Deutsch' because it originates from the Germanic word diutisc, which means 'of the people' or 'popular'. Over time, diutisc evolved into Deutsch in the German language, symbolizing the vernacular spoken by the populace, distinguishing it from Latin, which was the scholarly and official language in medieval Europe.

FAQs & Answers

  1. What does the word Deutsch mean? Deutsch means 'of the people' or 'popular', originating from the Germanic word diutisc.
  2. How did German evolve from diutisc? Over time, the word diutisc evolved to Deutsch, signifying the vernacular spoken by the people.
  3. What was Latin's role in medieval Europe? Latin was the scholarly and official language, contrasting with the vernacular languages like German.
  4. What are the Germanic languages? Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family that includes German, English, Dutch, and the Scandinavian languages.