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Sorry, Deutsch people (discuss.tchncs.de)
submitted 1 month ago by Servais@discuss.tchncs.de to c/yurop@lemm.ee
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[-] paschko_mato@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 month ago

I thought German means spearman. Because some tribes fighted with the „Ger“, a spear or some special spear(?). Or is this only a theory?

[-] barsoap@lemm.ee 12 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Lots of things are possible, fewer are likely, even fewer attested, even fewer attested without doubt.

Though it'd have a special irony to it: Some Roman asking a bunch of probably Austro-Bavarian or Alemanic warriors "who are you" and getting the answer "Germannen" -- "spear men". Were Italy an Island they would've said "sailors".

Probably more likely than Romans observing those tribes, noting more or less bog-standard javelins, not exactly a rare or particularly notable technology, and saying "hey let's ask them what they call javelins and add a -man after that for no apparent reason". Even if they specialised their tactics etc. around those spears would you call Greeks "Phalanx people"?

[-] Successful_Try543@feddit.org 4 points 1 month ago

According to German Wikipedia, this theory, Germans are men with a Ger, is longer up to date.

[-] paschko_mato@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 month ago

Hah, man lernt nie aus!

this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2024
876 points (98.5% liked)

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