The word "Germans" came into the Russian language a long time ago. This ethnonym of ancient Russian origin means "dumb, does not speak Russian." The word "Germany" is also ancient. But the inhabitants of Germany are usually called Germans.
Why did it happen that Russian speakers call the inhabitants of Germany Germans? This is due to both historical and linguistic reasons.
Language develops according to its own, sometimes inexplicable laws. Many factors are involved in the use and consolidation of a particular word in the language. Most often, the main and main creator of a language is its native speaker - people. Official sources, such as documents, chronicles, literary works, reflect only the result of this creativity.
On the origin of the words "Germans" and "Germany"
According to the assumption of linguists, the word "German" appeared in Russian in the 12th century or earlier. In the documents of Ancient Russia, this name is found precisely at this time.
At that time, the word Germania already existed in Latin. It was from him that the Russian name "Germany" came from. In the works of Roman authors written in Latin, it can be found already in the 1st century AD. So the Romans called the territory on the other side of the Rhine River, and the tribes that lived there, Julius Caesar called Germanus. The chronicler Tacitus also mentioned them.
The word "Germany" came to the Russian language only in the 19th century, when several separate principalities united into one country in Europe.
By that time, the word "German" had already managed to gain a foothold in the Russian language. In the big cities of Russia and later the Russian Empire, there were many visiting foreigners from European countries. A large role in this was played by the policy of Peter the Great, aimed at establishing ties with Europe. This, in turn, contributed to the even more frequent use of the word "German" among the Russian-speaking population.
But that is why it subsequently began to refer only to the inhabitants of Germany and why the Germans were not renamed, like other peoples, is very difficult to say. Perhaps the Great Patriotic War played a role when the meaning of the word "German" acquired strong negative connotations. Emotionally colored words hold well in the collective memory of the people.
Who were called Germans
One of the ancient Germanic tribes was called "nemets".
The Slavs called Germans not only the inhabitants of Germany, but also other European peoples: Norwegians, Swedes, Western Europeans, Danes. In the Russian language, the word "German" in the meaning of "foreigner" is still preserved. In the 20th century, among Russian speakers, the word "German" was still used in relation to Estonians. But this word stuck in the Russian language precisely in the meaning of "inhabitants of Germany".
Who else are Germans not Germans for?
The Slavs are not the only ones who use the word "German" to refer to the inhabitants of Germany. It is found among the Hungarians, and among the Ukrainians, and among the Poles, and among the Czechs, and among the Serbs, and among the Croats.
The ancient Roman tradition was not followed by the French, the Germans, and even the inhabitants of the former Rome, Italians.
In French, German - Allemand, in German - Deutch, in Italian - Tedesco.
But it is in the Russian language that the name of the country does not resemble the name of the ethnic group that inhabits it.
