Teuton

Meanings

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

1. Synonym of Teutonic.

Etymology

PIE word *tewtéh₂ Attested since 1720, from Latin Teutonēs, Teutonī (“the Teutons”) (cf. Ancient Greek Τεύτονες (Teútones)), 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-Germanic *þeudō (“people”) ** Old English þēod (“nation, people, country, language”), Middle English thede ** Proto-Germanic *þeudanaz (“ruler, leader of the people”) *** Gothic 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 (þiudans, “king”) *** Old Norse þjóðann (“prince, king”) *** Old Saxon þiudan (“lord of the people, ruler”) *** Old English þēoden (“king, lord”) ** Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz (“of the people or tribe”) *** English Dutch *** German deutsch * Proto-Celtic *toutā ** Old Irish túath * Persian توده (tôda, tude, “heap, masses, people, folk”) * Proto-Slavic *ťuďь (“foreign, strange”) ** Russian чужо́й (čužój, “stranger”), чудно (čudno, “strange”), чу́до (čúdo, “miracle”)