This is a list of Galician words which have Germanic origin. Many of these words entered the language during the late antiquity, either as words introduced into Vulgar Latin elsewhere, or as words brought along by the Suebi who settled in Galicia in the 5th century, or by the Visigoths who annexed the Suebic Kingdom in 585. Other words were incorporated to Galician during the Middle Ages, mostly proceeding from French and Occitan languages, as both cultures had a massive impact in Galicia during the 12th and 13th centuries. More recently other words with Germanic origin have been incorporated, either directly from English or other Germanic languages, or indirectly through Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or French.
Most of these words are shared with Portuguese, presenting sometimes minor spelling or phonetic differences.
All along this article, any form with an asterisk (*) is an unattested reconstruction, being therefore hypothetical.
Words incorporated in the Late Antiquity and High Middle Ages
Words exclusive to Galician, or with an early presence in local documents, have been frequently attributed to the Suebi who settled in Galicia and northern Portugal in 411,Cf. Ferreiro 2001: 30; Kremer 2004:
133-148; Kremer 2004b: 9-25; Rivas 1989: 51; Carvalho Calero 1979: 59; Hilty 2005: 473-480 or alternatively to the Visigoths who annexed the Suebi kingdom in 585, although the later didn't settle in Galicia prior to the 8th century:"The small proprietors in contrast were men of overwhelmingly Celtic, Roman and Suevic stock, not Visigoths, for in the century since Leovigild's conquest of the Suevic kingdom in 585 there had been no perceptible Visigothic migration to the northwest.", "landmark" and "to mark out a property" (in local documents since 818, but in Spanish only from the 16th century),Rivas 1989: 51; Rivas 2007: 150-152; Coromines 1997 s.v. marcar "forelock, pigtail", recorded in 561,DuCange s.v. grani "volume of grain" (medieval from scala "bowl", documented since the 9th century),Kremer 2004: 140 "felt", documented since 995,Ferreiro 2001: 19 "generation" (if from medieval sala "settlement", 10th century),Kremer 2004: 140, 146Kremer 2010: 13 "pergola", since 1009,Rivas 1989: 51 "skylark", since the 11th century,Orel 2003 s.v. *laiwarikōn "titmouse" (13th century), place name (and modern Galician "rustic man") from medieval (10th century) burio "house, settlement", "gully, trough, trench" (10th century),Kremer 2004: 146Rivas 2007: 84-85 "to break" (12th century),Rivas 2007: 150-152Carvalho Calero 1979: 58 "to praise, boast, brag", "pows", "gloves" (12th century), "fog, haze, mist, drizzle",Hilty 2005: 475 "to hurry, rush, hasten" and "promptness" (13th century), "evil spirit, elf",Martins: 6 "serf" (mallato, 10th century), "lintel",REW 8864 "dry wind", "to squash", "whiner".
Some words were already recorded in Visigothic legal documents: Kremer 2004: 12 while some others (beyond the aforementioned) have a very early documentation in Latin documents from Galicia: (baro "male, man", 9th century), "young, strong man" (10th century), "serf (cup bearer)" (11th century), and "companion, comrade" (9th century), "official" (9th century), "commander" (10th century), "reddish" (raudane, 10th century in León), "watch" (guardia, 10th century), "strip" (nastalo, 11th century, in Braga), "boot" (9th century), "sop, soup" (soparia, 10th century), "clothes" (raupa, 11th century), "to rob" (raubare, 12th century), "inn" (11th century), "badger" (Texunarias, first years of the 12th century), "watchtower" (10th century), "stake" (11th century), "spoor" (11th century), "to obtain", "cattle" (9th century), "flask" (flascas, 9th century, in Asturias).
Usually, some words shared by Galician, Portuguese, Spanish, and sometimes also Catalan, Occitan or Italian, are considered of Gothic extraction: Kremer 2004: 139; Hilty 2005: 475 Other words as , which can be found in all of the Western Romance languages, are more frequently considered to be Germanic loanwords incorporated into Vulgar Latin, maybe in Gaul.Kremer 2004: 139Ferreiro 2001: 20Dworkin 2012: 69- 73
There are a number of Germanic words which Galician shares with French, but which are unknown in Spanish; these are either nautical direct borrowings, early importations into Iberia which felt out of use in Spanish, or loans produced independently in Galician Suebic origin have been proposed for some of them, cf. Rivas 1989: 51 and French: "to shatter, to trash" (French ), "ashfly" (Falisca, 12th century, French flammèche), "to scratch off" and , "comb" (French ), "to stretch" (), "to prop, to shore" (Old French esprequer), "to lick" (French ), "to wear away" (Old French raffer).
There are other words of Germanic origin which are characteristically Galician, being mostly unknown in Spanish: "ditch, trench", "rough, steep", "to peel, to rub", "sardine's guts", "nail", "to be anxious, to fret", "gulp", "to snatch, to rub", "to tread", "stomp", "food offered to a group of workers", "stingray", "bottlenose dolphin, killer whale", "evil deed, treason, cheat, mischief", "thin person/horse/cow", "to lend, to bring close", "splinter, thorn; rough bark (of a tree)", "blonde", "type of net", "to mix something with liquids", "nose" and "to hurt one's nose".
Suffixes
At least two Germanic suffixes became productive in Galician, Portuguese and Spanish. The first one is -iskaz (medieval francisco 'French', grecisco 'Greek', alemaniscus 'German', frisiscus 'Frisian', mauriscus 'Moor'; personal names Uandaliscus 'Vandal', Uniscus 'Hun', Unisco 'Hun woman';Varela Sieiro 2003: 400-401 the second one is -ingaz,Kremer 2004: 137-138Dworkin 2012: 77 whence the Galician reguengo 'royal property' (regalengo, in the 10th century), avoengo 'property of the lineage' (abolenga, 10th century), abadengo 'monastical property' (12th century), mullerengo 'effeminate', andarengo 'swift', tourengo 'heat, mating season of the cattle', millarengo 'linnet', podenco 'hound' ...
List of words abetar vb. 'to err, entangle, confuse', Old Galician abete sb.m. 'trick' ('cuidou que per abete o querian envayr os seus', c. 1270),DCECH s.v. abeitar from PGmc *baitjanan 'to bait', probably through Old French abet. Cognates: Old Spanish abeitar, Old French abeter, English bait. afastar vb. 'to withdraw, to move away' ('e afastaron-s'afora, ca foron muit'espantados', 1264), maybe from PGmc *fastu- 'firm'.Rivas Quintas 2015: 21-22Kroonen 2013: 121 aio sb.m. 'tutor, protector' ('Sendericus qui huius regis aio fuit manu mea', c. 1000), from PGmc *haganan 'to feed',REW §3985; Orel 2003 s.v. or else from Latin AVIA 'grandmother'. Cognates: Spanish ayo idem, OHG hagan 'to feed'. albergaría sb.f. 'inn' ('ad illa albergaria de loci apostolici', 1094), from PGmc *haribergō 'shelter, inn'.REW §4045; Orel 2003, s.v. bergōVarela Sieiro 2008: 127 Cognates: Italian albergo, Occitan alberga, OHG herberga 'inn'. Derivatives: albergueiro 'innkeeper' ('albergarii, monetarii et cambiatores', 1133), albergar 'to lodge' ('e hu alberga, derei-vos o que faz:', c. 1220). amainar vb. 'to calm down', maino adj. 'mild, soft', maybe from PGmc *af-maginōn 'to lose strength'.cf. Carvalho Calero 1979: 58 anazar vb. 'to shake, to stir, to move, to mix', Old Galician 'to shake, drive' ('crara do ouo anaçada con vinagre et con azeite', c. 1409), from PGmc *anatjan 'to force'.GERT §32; REW §456; Köbler 2007 s.v. Cognate of Old French anassier, Italian annizzado, OHG anazzen 'to incite; drive (by force)'. anca sb.m. 'hindquarter, buttock' ('et deulle hua muy grã ferida cõna lança, assy que o deribou en terra pelas ancas do caualo', 13th century), from PGmc *hanhaz 'leg, heel'.DCECH s.v. anca; Orel 2003 s.v. xanxaz II Cognates: Occitan anca 'hip', ON há-mót 'ankle-joint', OE hóh 'heel'. anga sb.m. 'handle',DCECH s.v. angazo from PGmc *angōn 'thorn, hook'. Cognates: OHG ango 'hook, hinge', OE anga 'thorn, sharp point'. Derivatives: angazo 'rake'. arenga sb.f. 'speech'.REW §4209 Cognates: Italian arringa, French harangue, Occitan, Spanish arenga 'speech'. arpa sb.f. 'harp' ('çytolas, et vyolas, et arpas, et moytos outros estormētos', c. 1300), from PGmc *harpōn 'harp'.REW §4054; Orel 2003 s.v. Cognates: French harpe, Italian Spanish Occitan arpa, ON harpa, OE hearpe, OHG harpfa id. Derivatives: arpeu 'grapnel, anchor' ('huu arpeo de ferro con seus eixos', 1433), arpón 'harpoon', farpa 'spike, nail' ('Nom se faz todo per farpar peliça?', 13th century).
aspa sb.f. 'reel, cross' (18th century), from PGmc *haspōn 'hasp, fastening'.REW §4069; Orel 2003 s.v. Cognates: Italian aspo, Spanish aspa. Derivatives: aspar 'to mortify'. ataviar vb. 'to compose, to adorn' ('Alý chegou estonçe Achiles cõ sua caualaría, de moy bõo atabío', c. 1370), from PGmc *tawjanan 'to do, make, prepare', derived of *tawō 'hoard, armor'.REW §8601; Orel 2003 s.v. Cognates: Spanish ataviar, Goth. taujan 'to do, to make', OHG zowen 'to prepare'. Derivatives: atavío 'adornment, attire'. braco sb.m. 'sleuth dog', from PGmc *brakka(n)- 'sleuth dog'.DCECH s.v. braco; Kroonen 2015: 73 Cognates: Spanish braco, Occitan brac, German Bracke. b(r)anco sb.m. 'bench, bank' ('due mense, archa V, duo banci', 1224), from PGmc *bankiz 'bench', *bankōn 'bank, shore, bed'.REW §933; Varela Sieiro 2008: 306; Varela Sieiro 2003: 134; Orel 2003 s.v. Cognates: Italian, Spanish banco, French, Catalan, Occitan banc, ON bekkr, OE benc id, OHG banc 'bench'. Derivatives: bancal 'cloth, table-runner'. banda sb.f. bando sb.m. 'party, side' ('habeam terciam de hereditate de Bando Malo', 1151), from PGmc *bandwō 'sign'.REW §929 Cognates: Italian, Spanish bando, Goth. bandwa 'sign', ON benda 'to give a sign'. Derivatives: bandaria 'partiality', abandar 'to join sides', bandada 'flock', bandear 'to shake, to wave', bandexa bandoxo 'sieve, pan'. banda sb.f. 'band, strip' ('et tragía hũ escudo cõ banda de azur', 1370), from PGmc *bandan 'band'.REW §929; Orel 2003 s.v. Cognates: ON band 'band, bond', French bande, Italian banda. Derivatives: bandallo 'rag'. barragán sb.m 'young man', barragana sb.f. 'harlot' ('habitantes homines de plebe beati Iacobi apostoli, nuncupatos barragaanes', 958),Hilty 2005: 475; Coromines 1997 s.v. from a Gothic hypocoristic *barika, from *baraz 'man'. Akin to Nordic 'beriask' 'to fight'. basta sb.f. 'a basted seam' (18th century), from PGmc *bastjan 'to build, to sew'.REW §981 Cognates: Spanish basta, Italian bastire 'to build', Occitan bastir, French bâtir. Derivatives: bastrán 'jointer'. boga sb.f. 'clamp, fetter (of a hammer)', from PGmc *baugaz 'ring'.REW §1004; Orel 2003 s.v. Cognates: Spanish boga idem, Occitan bauc 'ring', Italian boga 'Hammerhülse', ON baugr OHG boug 'ring'. bóveda sb.f. 'vault, dome' ('ubi abbobata tribunalis est constructa', 899), from a Germanic form *bōwiþō 'dwelling', from PGmc *bōwanan 'to dwell, inhabit'.cf. cf. Orel 2003 s.v. Cognates: Catalan buada, Spanish bóveda. brandear vb. 'to wave' ('e brandeou con lindos meneos súa bandeiriña', 1745), from PGmc *brandaz 'sword'.REW §1273; Orel 2003 s.v. Cognates: It. brandire, Occ. Fr. brandir, Sp. blandir, English brandish. Galician blandir 'to wave a sword' ('log'ir-e leixou en seu cavalo branqu'e sa lança muito brandindo', 13th century) was probably taken from Occitan. brasa sb.f. 'ember' ('Et as casas pintadas et nobles todas forõ tornadas en brasas.', 1370), from a Germanic form *brasa.REW §1276 Cognates: North Italian braza, French braise, Occitan brasa, Portuguese braza. ON. brasa 'solder'. Derivatives: braseiro 'place or holder for embers', abrasar 'to burn, from scorch'. breca sb.f. 'cramp (muscular)', from PGmc *brekan- 'to break'.Rivas Quintas 2015: 83; Kroonen 2013: 71 bregar vb. 'to knead; to shape (wood)', from PGmc *brekanan.DCECH s.v. bregar; Orel 2003 s.v. Cognates: Spanish bregar id., Portuguese briga 'fight', English break. Derivatives: bregueiro 'shaped piece of wood'.