'germanism' originates from English, specifically from the word 'German' combined with the suffix '-ism', where 'German' meant 'of or relating to Germany' and '-ism' denoted 'practice, characteristic, or doctrine'.

'German' comes from Latin 'Germanus' meaning 'of the Germanic people'; it passed into Middle English (e.g. 'Germayn') and became modern English 'German'. The suffix '-ism' comes from Greek '-ismos' via Latin '-ismus' and Old French '-isme', later forming English nouns like '-ism' to indicate doctrines, practices, or characteristics; these elements combined to form 'germanism' in modern English.

Initially the components referred simply to 'German' + a suffix for 'practice/characteristic'; over time the compound came to mean specifically either a German-derived word in another language or a characteristic associated with Germany.