Teutonicism
|Teu-ton-ic-ism|
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/tuːˈtɑːnɪsɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/tjuːˈtɒnɪsɪzəm/
Germanic characteristic or influence
Etymology
'Teutonicism' originates from Modern English, specifically the combination of 'Teutonic' + the suffix '-ism', where 'Teutonic' comes from Latin 'Teutonicus' (from the name of the Germanic tribe 'Teutones') meaning 'of the Teutones' and '-ism' is a suffix forming nouns denoting practice, characteristic, or ideology.
'Teutonic' developed from Latin 'Teutonicus' (used to mean 'of the Teutones' or 'Germanic'), passed into Medieval and Early Modern English usage as 'Teutonic', and the modern noun 'Teutonicism' was formed by adding the productive English suffix '-ism'.
Initially the root referred specifically to the tribe name ('Teutones') and thus to things 'of the Teutones'; over time it broadened to mean 'Germanic' or 'German-like', and with the suffix '-ism' came to denote either a linguistic feature, a characteristic, or an ideological tendency associated with that Germanic identity.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a linguistic feature, word, phrase, or construction in a language that is derived from or influenced by Teutonic (Germanic) languages (a Germanicism in grammar or vocabulary).
The translator was criticized for several Teutonicisms that made the text sound more German than English.
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Noun 2
a characteristic, trait, or quality regarded as typical of Teutonic (Germanic) peoples — e.g., perceived strictness, solidity, or vigor.
Writers of the 19th century often praised the Teutonicism they associated with northern virtues.
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Noun 3
(Historical/political) An ideological tendency or movement that emphasizes Teutonic (Germanic) heritage or nationalism; sometimes used to describe advocacy of Germanic superiority or identity.
Some historians analyze how Teutonicism influenced certain nationalist movements in central Europe.
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Last updated: 2025/10/29 02:29