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amerikanisch

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Etymology and origin of the German word amerikanisch

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Early New High German
Ultimate origin
German (Amerika)

Pronunciation

  • /ameʁiˈkaːnɪʃ/[1]

Forms

amerikanisch (strong nominative masculine singular amerikanischer, comparative amerikanischer, superlative am amerikanischsten)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from German Amerika + -anisch.[1] The German edition of Wiktionary describes it as the stem of the name with a linking /n/ and the suffix -isch.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Early New High German dictionary records amerikanisch in the period 1350–1650, in a meaning close to indianisch, that is, of the native peoples of the Americas.[3]

Semantic evolution

The sense “belonging to or typical of the United States” is often evaluative: in 1855 Riehl wrote of the Germans becoming amerikanischer, “more realistic and economical”, and a text of 1928 speaks of an amerikanisches Tempo.[4] An amerikanisches Duell (1896) was an agreement by which the loser of a draw had to kill himself.[4] In film, the amerikanische Einstellung is a shot showing a person from about the knees up.[5][2] The noun Amerikanisch “American English” may owe something to English American.[1]

Timeline

  • Before 1650 – amerikanisch is recorded in Early New High German.[3]
  • 1855 – Riehl uses the comparative amerikanischer “more realistic and economical”.[4]
  • 1896 – amerikanisches Duell is recorded.[4]
  • 1928 – amerikanisches Tempo.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. American: of America or the Americans, often of the United States: ein amerikanischer Schriftsteller.[5][1]
  2. In American English: die amerikanische Aussprache.[5][2]
  3. (film) Of a shot showing a person from about the knees up: amerikanische Einstellung.[5][2]

Word family

  • Amerikanisch
  • Amerika
  • Amerikaner

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, das freie Wörterbuch (German Wiktionary), de.wiktionary.org
  3. ^ a b Anderson, Robert R.; Goebel, Ulrich; Reichmann, Oskar, eds. (1989–), Frühneuhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter; FWB-online, fwb-online.de
  4. ^ a b c d e Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob Grimm und Wilhelm Grimm, Neubearbeitung (1965–2018), ed. Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften and Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, 9 vols. (A–F), Leipzig / Stuttgart: Hirzel, p. 2, 643
  5. ^ a b c d Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag
Cite this entry

“Amerikanisch.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/de/amerikanisch. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·