What are the different meanings of the word 'German'?
Q: What are the different meanings of the word 'German'?
A: The word 'German' can refer to anything related to Germany, the German language, Germans, people from Germany or one of the earlier countries in the same area, Germanic peoples, people who speak Germanic languages (including German and some other languages), the early people known as Franks, the Holy Roman Empire (843-1806), the German Confederation (1815-1866), the German Empire (1871-1918), the Weimar Republic (1919-1933), and the German Democratic Republic or East Germany (1949-1990).
Q: What does 'German' mean when referring to a person?
A: When referring to a person, 'German' can mean either someone who lives in Germany, or someone who thinks of himself or herself as 'German'.
Q: What are Germanic peoples?
A: Germanic peoples are a group of people who speak Germanic languages, including German and some other languages.
Q: What were the Franks?
A: The Franks were an early people in the same area as Germany.
Q: What was the Holy Roman Empire?
A: The Holy Roman Empire was a complex of territories in central Europe that existed from 843 to 1806.
Q: What was the German Confederation?
A: The German Confederation was a union of 39 German states, established in 1815 and dissolved in 1866.
Q: What was the German Empire?
A: The German Empire was established in 1871 and lasted until 1918. It was a federal state that included the Kingdom of Prussia and other German states.
