Re: [tied] etmyology of Germani

> I was wondering about the etymology of the word Germani, and if
> there is any truth in what Strabo said:"The Romans assigned to them the
> name 'Germani,' as though they wished to indicate thereby that they were
> 'genuine' Galatae, for in the language of the Romans 'germani' means
> 'genuine.'

It's a false etymology - the story was invented later.
The word "germanus" in Latin means full brother or sister (i.e. having same
parents - or at least the same father). It therefore moves on to mean
"genuine brother/sister" and then to "genuine", in which sense it is very
common in classical Latin.
When the Romans met the Germani they were conscious of the pun - and so the
story was invented to explain it.

Peter