List of Spanish words of Germanic origin
This is a list of some Spanish words of Germanic origin.
The list includes words from Visigothic, Frankish, Langobardic, Middle Dutch, Middle High German, Middle Low German, Old English, Old High German, Old Norse, Old Swedish, English, and finally, words which come from Germanic with the specific source unknown.
Some of these words existed in Latin as loanwords from other languages. Some of these words have alternate etymologies and may also appear on a list of Spanish words from a different language. Some words contain non-Germanic elements. Any form with an asterisk is unattested and therefore hypothetical.
Alphabetical list
A
- "to put up with"
- : "patience, tolerance"
B
- "bullet"
- : "to shoot"
- : "to shoot"
- "balcony"
- "bench; bank"
- : "bench, seat"
- "band, group"
- : "flock of birds, group of animals"
- : "flag"
- "edict, mandate"
- "faction, party, side"
- : "outlaw, bandit"
- : "outlaw, bandit"
- "banquet"
- "baron"
- ,, biftec "steak" + steak )
- "moustache"
- "bison"
- "white"
- "block"
- : "to block"
- "to embroider"
- : "embroidery"
- "edge"
- :a "on board"
- "to bounce"
- : "bounce"
- "boat"
- "to roar, bellow"
- : "roar, bellow"
- brecha ", "
- brindis "toast"
- brida "bridle"
- brío "spirit", ""
- brocha "broach"
- brotar "to sprout"
- buganvilla, bugambilia= "bougainvillea"
- bulevar "boulevard"
- buque "ship, vessel"
- burgués "bourgeoisie", "member of the middle class"
- busca; buscar "to search"
C
- cancán "can-can dance"
- carpa "carp"
- chocar "to, collide"
- cinc "zinc"
- club "club, association"
- cobalto "cobalt"
- comarca "region", specifically "comarcas of Spain", etc.
D
E
- escuela "school" : The word school derives from Greek σχολή, originally meaning "leisure" and also "that in which leisure is employed", but later "a group to whom lectures were given, school". It is not of Germanic origin.
- equipar "to equip" : from Proto-Germanic *skipōną ; akin to Gothic ????. Compare with Old High German scif, German Schiff, Icelandic skip, Old English scip, Old Norse skipja. See ship.
F
- filibustero "filibuster"
- film "film"
- filtro; filtrar "filter"
- flotar; flota; flotilla "float"
- folclore "folklore"
- fornido "strong, robust"
- fornir "provide"
- forrar "cover"
- frambuesa "raspberry"
- franco "candid"
- Franco "franc "
- franqueo "postage"
- frasco "bottle"
- fresco "cool"
- fútbol, futbol "football"
G
- gabardina "raincoat"
- gaita "bagpipes"
- gaje "perk"
- galán "a gallant person"
- galante "gallant"
- galardón "award"
- galope "gallop"
- ganado "livestock"
- ganar "to win"
- ganso; gansa "goose"
- garaje "garage"
- garantía "warranty"
- garbo "grace/elegance"
- gardenia "gardenia"
- garrote "club"
- gavilán "hawk"
- González "war-hall / castle"
- grabar "to record"
- gripe, gripa "flu"
- gris "grey"
- grosella "currant/gooseberry"
- grupo "group/band"
- guadaña "scythe"
- guagua
- "glove"
- "gauntlet"
- guarcanión
- "guard"
- : "to wait for"
- : "to save, guard"
- : "the act of guarding"
- "to cure; to subsist; to recover"
- : "to shelter, protect"
- : "den, shelter for animals; shelter"
- guarnición "garrison"
- guerra "war"
- guerrilla "guerilla"
- gueto "ghetto"
- guía "a guide"
- guiar "to guide"
- guillotina "guillotine"
- guión "script/hyphen"
- guirnalda "wreath"
- guisa "guise"
- guisar "cook/stew)
- Guzmán Goodman
H
- hacha "hatchet/ax"
- halar, jalar "to pull"
- hato "herd"
- heraldo "herald"
- hola "hello"
I
- instalar "to install"
J
- jardín "garden"
K
L
- lastre "ballast"
- líder "leader"
- lieja "liege"
- lista "list"
- listón "ribbon"
- lote "lot/portion"
- lotería "lottery/bingo"
M
- maleta "suitcase/trunk"
- maniquí "mannequin"
- marcar "to mark"
- marchar"to march"
- mariscal "marshal"
- marqués "marquis"
- marquesina "marquee"
- marta "minx"
- mascota "a pet"
- masón "mason"
- mástil "mast"
N
- nórdico "nordic"
- norte "north"
O
- oeste "west"
- orgullo "pride"
P
- palco "box"
- papel "paper/role"
- paquete "packet"
- placa "plaque/license plate"
Q
- quilla "keel"
R
- rachear see rancho
- rancho "ranch" from French ranger, from Old French ranc, from Frankish *hring or some other Germanic source
- raza "race " from Italian razza "race, lineage" from Langobard. raiza "line, race", akin to OHG reiza "line"
- raspar "to scrape"
- ratón "mouse"
- refrescar "to refresh"
- reno "reindeer"
- retaguardia "rearguard"
- rico "rich/tasty"
- rifa "raffle"
- rifle "rifle"
- riqueza "wealth/riches"
- robar "to rob"
- robo "robbery"
- rocín "nag"
- ron "rum"
- ropa "clothing"
- rorcual "rorqual"
- rueca "spinning wheel"
- rufián "ruffian"
- rumba "rumba"
- ruso
S
- sacar "to take out"
- sajón "Saxon"
- sala "living room, room "
- salón "salon, room "
- saxofón
- sopa "soup" '
- sud/sur "south"
- sueco "Swede"
- suizo "Swiss"
T
- tacha "blemish"
- tachuela "tack"
- taco "taco"
- tacón "heel"
- talar "to cut"
- tampón "tampon"
- tapa "top"
- tapar "to cover"
- tapia "wall"
- tapón "plug"
- tarjeta "card", cognate with English "target"
- teta "tit"
- teutón "Teuton"
- toalla "towel"
- toldo "awning"
- tope "top/stop"
- torio "thorium"
- trampa "trap/trick"
- tregua "truce
- trepar "to climb"
- trombón "trombone"
- trompa "trunk/horn"
- trompo "spinning top"
- tropa "troop"
- trotar "to trot"
- tungsteno "tungsten"
- tupé "toupee"
U
- ufano "a smug/boastul person"
V
- vagón "wagon"
- valquiria "Valkyrie"
- vals "waltz"
- vanadio "vanadium"
- vandalismo "vandalism"
- venda "bandage"
- vermut "vermouth"
W
- wagneriano "Wagnerian"
X
Y
- yate "yacht"
- yelmo "helmet"
- yodo "iodine"
Z
By origin
Franconian
evolved to Old Dutch between 500 and 800 AD. Around 1200 AD Old Dutch evolved to Middle Dutch. Around the 16th century, Modern Dutch evolved out of Middle Dutch.Frankish
- aguantar= to endure, bear, resist: from Italian agguantare "to retain, take hold of", from a- + guanto "gauntlet", from Frankish want + verbal suffix -are.
- alojar= to lodge, to house, to provide hospitality: from Catalan allotjar, from llotja from Old French loge, see lonja below.
- borde= border, edge: from Old French bord "side of a ship, border, edge", from Frankish bord "table", from Germanic burd-.
- bordar= to embroider: from Frankish bruzdon, from Germanic bruzd- "point, needle", from the IE root bhrs-dh-, from bhrs-, from bhar-, "point, nail."
- bosque= forest, woods: from Catalan of Provençal of Old French bosc, from Germanic busk- "brush, underbrush, thicket".
- bosquejo= a sketch, outline, rough draft: from Spanish bosquejar "to sketch, to outline", probably from Catalan bosquejar from bosc, see bosque above.
- destacar= to detach troops: from French détachar, from Old French destachier "to unattach", from des- "apart, away" + atachier, a variation of estachier, from estaca, from Frankish stakka, see estaca below in Germanic section.
- destacar= to stand out, to emphasize: from Italian staccare "to separate", from Old French destacher, destachier, see destacar above.
- estandarte= a military standard: from Old French estandart, probably from Frankish standhard "standard that marks a meeting place",, from standan "to stand", standan, from the IE root + hard "hard, firm", see ardid below in Germanic section.
- guante= glove, gauntlet: from Catalan guant "gauntlet", from Frankish want "gauntlet."
- lonja= market, building where merchants and sellers gather: from regional Catalan llonja, from Old Frenchlogo "dwelling, shelter", from Frankish laubja "covering, enclosure", from Germanic laubja "shelter", from the IE root leup- "to peel."
- oboe= an oboe: from French hautbois from haut + bois "wood", see bosque above.
- ranchear, rancho= ranch, From French ranger, from Old French ranc, from Frankish *hring' or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *khrengaz "circle, ring". Shares the root with rank.
Old Dutch
Middle Dutch
- amarrar= to moor a boat, to tie, to fasten: from French amarrer, "to moor", from Middle Dutch aanmarren "to fasten", from aan "on" ana, anō, from the IE root + marren "to fasten, to moor a boat." See Modern Dutch aanmeren.
- baluarte= bulwark: from Old French boloart "bulwark,, converted to a boulevard", from Middle Dutch bolwerc "rampart". See Modern Dutch bolwerk.
- bulevar: from French boulevard, from Middle Dutch: bolwerc "rampart". See Modern Dutch bolwerk.
- maniquí= a mannequin, dummy, puppet: from French mannequin, from Dutch, from Middle Dutch mannekijn "little man", from man "a man" + the diminutive suffix -ken, -kin, -kijn, from West Germanic -kin See Modern Dutch manneken.
- rumbo= direction, course, route, pomp, ostentation: from Old Spanish rumbo "each of the 32 points on a compass", from Middle Dutch rume "space, place, rhumb line, storeroom of a ship", from Germanic rūmaz "space, place", from the IE root reu- "space, to open". See Modern Dutch ruim.
Modern Dutch
- babor= port side of a ship: from French babord "portside", from Dutch bakboord "left side of a ship", literally "back side of a ship", from bak "back, behind", + boord "board, side of a ship", see borde below. Also see estribor' "starboard" below in the Germanic section
- berbiquí= carpenter's brace: from regional French veberquin, from Dutch wimmelken, from wimmel "auger, drill, carpenter's brace" + -ken, a diminutive suffix, see maniquí below in Middle Dutch section.
Anglo-Frisian
Old English
- arlequín= harlequin: from Italian arlecchino, from Old French Herlequin "mythic chief of a tribe", probably from Middle English Herle king, from Old English Herla cyning, Herla Kyning literally King Herla, a king of Germanic mythology identified with Odin/Woden. Cyning "king" is from Germanic kunjan "family", from the IE root gen- "to birth, regenerate".
- bote= a small, uncovered boat: from Old French bot, from Middle English bot, boot, from Old English bāt, from Germanic bait-, from the IE root bheid- "to split".
- este= east: from French est, from Middle English est, from Old English ēast, from Germanic aust-, from the IE root awes-, aus "to shine".
- norte= north: from Old French nord, from Old English north, from Germanic north-, from the IE root nr-to "north", from nr- ", to the left"
- oeste= west: from Middle English west, from Old English west, from Germanic west-, from wes-to-, from wes-, from wespero- "evening, dusk".
- sud-= south : from Old French sud "south", from Old English sūth, from Germanic sunthaz, from the IE root sun-, swen-, variants of sāwel- "sun".
- sur= south: from French sud, from Old English sūth, see sud- above.
Middle English
Modern English
- bar
- básquetbol= basketball
- béisbol= baseball: from Modern English, from base + ball from Middle English bal, both from Germanic ball-, from the IE root bhel- "to swell".
- bit
- boxear= to box: from Modern English, from Middle English box.
- byte
- chatear= chat
- cheque= cheque/check
- chequeo= checkup
- choque= shock
- clic= click
- cliquear= to click
- club
- dólar
- cómic= comic, ultimately Greek borrowing
- escáner= scanner
- escanear= to scan
- eslógan= slogan
- estándar= standard
- esmoquin= tuxedo, from smoking
- fax
- flash
- fútbol= football
- gay= English, from French
- glamoroso= glamorous
- hall
- hockey
- interfaz= interface
- internet
- jersey=
- líder= leader
- link =
- marketing
- mitin= meeting
- módem= modem
- mouse
- náilon= nylon
- píxel= pixel
- pudin= pudding
- ranking/ranquin
- rock =
- rosbif = roast beef
- sandwich
- sexy/sexi
- shampú or champú "shampoo"
- shock
- software
- startup
- show
- examen "test"
- telemarketing, know-how
- turista= tourist
- vagón= wagon
- voleibol = volleyball
- yanqui= yankee
- yate= yacht
Low German
Old Low German
Middle Low German
Modern Low German
High German
Old High German
- banca= bench: see banco= bench below
- banco= bench: from Old High German banc "bench, board"
- banco= bank: from French banque "bank", from Italian banca "bench, money changer's table", from Old High German banc, see banco= bench above
- banqueta= backless bench, stool, sidewalk : diminutive of banca, see banca above.
Middle High German
Modern High German
North-Germanic
Old Norse
- bistec= steak, beefsteak: from English beefsteak, from beef + steak, from Middle English steyke, from Old Norse steik "piece of meat cooked on a spit", from Germanic stik-, see estaca below in the Germanic section.
Other
Langobardic
- palco= a balcony, balcony of a theater: from Italian palco, from Langobardic palko "scaffolding", from Germanic balkōn "beam, crossbeam", see balcón below in Germanic section.
Visigothic
- agasajar= to flatter: from agasajo + the verbal suffix -ar
- agasajo= entertainment, kind reception, friendliness, flattery: from a- + Old Spanish gasajo "reception" from Visigothic gasalja "companion, comrade", from ga- with, together + sal- "room, lodging".
- guardia= guard, bodyguard, protection: from Visigothic wardja "a guard", from Germanic wardaz, from the IE root wor-to-, see guardar below in Germanic section.
- guardián= guardian: from Visigothic wardjan accusative of wardja, see guardia above.
- atacar= to attack: Old Italian attaccare "to fasten, join, unite, attack ", changed from estacar "to fasten, join", from Visigothic stakka "a stick, stake", from Germanic stak-, see estaca in Germanic section.
Germanic of unidentified origin
- abanderado= standard-bearer, also standard-bearing : from a- + bandera, + -ado, from Latin -atus, noun suffix derived the adjective suffix -atus.
- abandonar= to abandon: from Old French a bandon, from a + bandon "control" from ban "proclamation, jurisdiction, power", from Germanic banwan, bannan "to proclaim, speak publicly".
- abordar= to board a ship, to approach, to undertake: from a- + bordo "side of a ship", variation of borde, see borde below
- abotonar: to button: from a- + botón "button", see botón below
- abrasar= to burn, to parch: from a- + brasa "a coal, ember" + the verbal suffix -ar
- aguardar= to wait, wait for: from a- + guardar, see guardar below.
- alemán= of Germany, the German language: from Late Latin Alemanni, an ancient Germanic tribe, from Germanic alamanniz, from ala- "all" + mannis, plural of manna-/mannaz "man" from the IE root man- "man".
- ardid= trick, scheme, ruse: from Old Spanish ardid "risky undertaking in war", from Catalan ardit "risky undertaking, strategy", from ardit "daring, bold", from a Germanic source represented in Old High German harti "daring, bold" and hart "hard", both from the IE root kor-tu-.
- arenque= herring: possibly via French hareng, from Germanic.
- arpa= a harp: from French: harpe, from Germanic harpōn-.
- arrimar= to approach: possibly from Old French arrimer, arimer "to arrange the cargo in the storeroom of a ship", from Germanic rūmaz "room"
- atrapar= to trap, to ensnare: from French attraper, from Old French a- + trape "trap", from Germanic trep- from the IE root dreb-, from der- "to run."
- bala= a bullet: Italian balla/palla, from Germanic ball-, see béisbol above in Old English section.
- balcón a balcony: from Italian balcone, from Old Italian balcone "scaffold", from Germanic balkōn "beam, crossbeam", from the IE root bhelg- "beam, board, plank."
- balón= a large ball: from Italian ballone, pallone, balla + -one, an augmentive suffix, related to and possibly the source of Spanish -ón. see here.
- banda= ribbon, band, sash: from Old French bande "knot, fastening", from Germanic '*band-', from the IE root bhondh-, from bhendh-.
- banda= band, troop, musical group: from Germanic '*bandwa-', "standard, signal", also "group", from the IE root bha- "to shine".
- bandera= banner: from Vulgar Latin bandaria "banner", from Late Latin bandum "standard", from Germanic bandwa, see banda= group below
- bandido= bandit, gangster: from Italian bandito "bandit", from bandire "to band together", from Germanic '*banwan, see abandonar above
- banquete= a banquet: rom Old French banquet, diminutive of banc "bench, long seat", of Germanic origin, of the same family as the Old High German banc, see banco= bench above in Old High German section.
- bisonte Bison bison: from Latin bisontem "wisent ", from Germanic wisand-, wisunt-.
- blanco= white, white person, blank: from Vulgar Latin blancus, from Germanic blank- "to shine", from the IE root.
- bloque= a block, a : from French bloc, from Middle Dutch blok "trunk of a tree", from a Germanic source represented in the Old High German bloh.
- bohemio= a bohemian, of Bohemia, vagabond, eccentric, Gitano, Gypsy: from bohemio/Bohemia, from Latin bohemus, from Boihaemum, literally "place of the Boi/Boii + Latin -haemum "home", from Germanic haima "home", from the IE root koi-mo-, from koi-, variant of kei- "bed, couch; beloved, dear".
- bota= a boot: from or simply from the same source as French botte "boot", from Old French bote "boot", probably from the same source as Modern French pied bot "deformed foot" in which bot is from Germanic būtaz, from the IE root bhau- "to strike", see botar below.
- botar= to throw, to bounce, to jump: from Old French boter, bouter "to open, to hit, to strike, to perforate", from Romance bottare "to strike, to push, to shove", from Germanic buttan "to hit, to strike" from the IE root bhau-.
- bote+ a : see botar above
- botón= button: from Old French boton, bouton "button", from boter, bouter "to open, perforate", see botar above
- boya= a buoy: probably from Old French boie, from Germanic, possibly from Old High German bouhhan, from Germanic baukna- "signal", from the IE root bha- "to shine".
- brasa= a coal, ember: from Old French brese "a coal", probably from Germanic bres-, bhres-, from the IE root bhreu-.
- dibujar= to draw, represent with lines: older Spanish meanings include "to represent, to paint, to sculpt, to do wood carving", probably from Old French deboissier "to sculpt in wood", from de- + bois "wood", from Germanic busk-, see bosque above.
- estaca= a stake: from Germanic stak-, from the IE root steg- ", post pointed stick".
- estribor= starboard side of a ship: from Old French estribord "starboard",, from a Germanic source. From Germanic stiurjō "to steer", + Germanic burd-, see borde above
- grupo= group: rom Italian gruppo, from a Germanic word represented by Old High German kropf "beak."
- guardar= to guard, watch over, keep, observe : from Germanic wardōn "to look after, take care of", from the IE root wor-to-, "to watch", from wor-, wer- "to see, watch, perceive".
- sala= a room: from Germanic sal- "room, house", from the IE root sol- "hamlet, human settlement."
- salón= main room of a house + -on, augmentive suffix.
- trampa= a trap: possibly from Germanic, from the same derivation as trampolín and atrapar.
- trampolín= a trampoline: from Italian trampolino "trampoline", from trampoli, plural of a Germanic word tramp-, from the IE root dreb-, from der- "to run."
- vanguardia= vanguard: from Old Spanish avanguardia, from Catalan avantguarda from avant "before, advance", + guarda "guard", from Germanic wardaz, see guardia above in Visigothic section.
Latin words of Germanic origin
- bisonte
- filtro; filtrar= "filter; to filter" from ML filtrum felt from Gmc, akin to OE felt, felt
- jabon= "soap" from Latin sapon-, sapo, soap from Gmc
Names
Forenames
- Abelardo
- Adalberto
- Adela
- Adelaida
- Adelia
- Adelina
- Adelita
- Adolfito
- Adolfo
- Adosinda
- Alarico
- Alberto
- Alfonso
- Alfredo
- Alicia
- Alita
- Alonso
- Álvaro
- Amalia
- Amelia
- América
- Américo = Italian Amerigo from Visigothic Amalric from amal "labour, work" + ric "kingdom, rule, domain"
- Anselma
- Anselmo
- Armando
- Astrid
- Baldomero
- Balduino
- Baudelio
- Bermudo
- Bermundo
- Bernardino
- Bernardita
- Bernardo
- Berta
- Blanca
- Braulio
- Brunilda
- Bruno
- Canuto
- Carla
- Carlito
- Carlitos
- Carlos
- Carlota
- Carolina
- Claudomiro
- Clotilde
- Conrado
- Curro
- Dalia
- Eberardo
- Edelmira
- Edelmiro
- Edgardo
- Edmundo
- Eduardo
- Elodia
- Eloísa
- Elvira
- Ema
- Emelina
- Enrique
- Erico
- Ernesta
- Ernestina
- Ernesto
- Etelvina
- Federico
- Fernanda
- Fernando
- Fito
- Fran
- Franco
- Francisca
- Francisco
- Froilan
- Geraldo
- Gerardo
- Gertrudis
- Gervasio
- Gilberto
- Gisela
- Godofredo
- Gonzalo
- Godino = of Visigothic origin, from Gaut 'Goth' or guþ 'god'.
- Griselda
- Gualterio
- Guillermo
- Guiomar
- Gumersinda
- Gumersindo
- Gustavo
- Hélder
- Herberto
- Heriberto
- Hermenegildo
- Hernán
- Hernando
- Hilda
- Hildegarda
- Hugo
- Ida
- Ildefonso
- Imelda
- Irma
- Isidro
- Isidoro
- Ivette
- Jordán
- Jordana
- Lalo
- Leonardo
- Leopoldo
- Lorena
- Ludovico
- Luis
- Luisa
- Luisina
- Lupe
- Lupita
- Matilde
- Miro
- Nando
- Nilda
- Nora
- Norberto
- Olegario
- Olga
- Olivia
- Óscar
- Osvaldo
- Paca
- Paco
- Pancho
- Paquita
- Paquito
- Ramiro
- Ramom
- Raimundo
- Roberto
- Rodolfo
- Rodrigo = from Germanic Hrodric/Hrēðrīc/Rørik/Hrœrekr, from the Proto-Germanic *Hrōþirīkaz; it was borne by the last of the Visigoth kings and is one of the most important Spanish personal names of Germanic origin.
- Rogelio
- Rolando
- Ronaldo
- Rosendo
- Sisenando
- Sisebuto
Surnames
- Alonso = Galician-Portuguese variant of Adalfuns.
- Álvarez = patronymic form of Álvaro
- Allariz = patronimic from Alaric
- Bermudez = patronimic from Bermudo from Gothic Bermund
- Enríquez = patronymic form of Enrique
- Fernández = patronymic form of Fernando
- García = patronymic form of Garces
- Godínez = patronymic form of Godino
- Gómez = patronymic form of Gome
- González = patronymic form of Gonzalo
- Guerra = From Gothic 'wirr'
- Guerrero = occupational name meaning warrior, from Germanic werra, modern German wirr
- Guitiriz = patronimic form of Witiza
- Gutiérrez = patronymic form of Gutierre
- Guzmán = guts/man = goodman
- Manrique= from the Gothic "Aimanreiks" = Man ric
- Henríque = from the Gothic "Haimreiks" = Haim ric
- Hernández = patronymic form of Hernando
- Méndez = patronymic form of Mendo
- Parra = from Gothic Grapevine
- Ramírez = patronymic form of Ramiro
- Rodríguez = patronymic form of Rodrigo
- Ruiz = patronymic form of Ruy, variant of Rodrigo
- Suevos = patronimic form of Suevo
- Vélez = patronymic form of Vela, which itself is derived from Vigila.