There are many terms for the

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

. In English the demonym, or noun, is German. During the early

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

, "German" implied that the person spoke

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

as a native language. Until the

German unification The unification of Germany (, ) was the process of building the modern German nation state with federal features based on the concept of Lesser Germany (one without multinational Austria), which commenced on 18 August 1866 with adoption of t ...

, people living in what is now Germany were named for the region in which they lived: examples are

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

ns and

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...

ers. Some terms are

humorous Humour (Commonwealth English) or humor (American English) is the tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks, which taught that the balance of fluids in th ...

pejorative A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-g ...

, and used mainly by people from other countries, although they can be used in a self-deprecating way by German people themselves. Other terms are serious or tongue-in-cheek attempts to

coin A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...

words as alternatives to the ambiguous standard terms. Many pejorative terms for Germans in various countries originated during the two World Wars.

English

Hun (pejorative)

''Hun'' (or ''The Hun'') is a term that originally refers to the nomadic

Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...

of the Migration Period. Beginning in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

it became an often used pejorative seen on war posters by western Allied powers. The wartime association of the term with Germans is believed to have been inspired by an earlier address to Imperial German troops by Kaiser

Wilhelm II , house = Hohenzollern , father = Frederick III, German Emperor , mother = Victoria, Princess Royal , religion = Lutheranism (Prussian United) , signature = Wilhelm II, German Emperor Signature-.svg Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor ...

. What is dubbed the " Hun speech" (') was delivered on 27 July 1900, when he bade farewell to the German expeditionary corps sailing from the port of

Bremerhaven Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...

to take part in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion. The relevant part of the speech was: The theme of Hunnic savagery was then developed in a speech of August Bebel in the Reichstag in which he recounted details of the cruelty of the German expedition which were taken from soldiers' letters home, styled the ' (letters from the Huns). The Kaiser's speech was widely reported in the European press at that time. At the start of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and following the brutal and ruthless actions of the German Army during their invasion of Belgium, the term was revived: It became the basis for the characterisation of the Germans during World War I as barbarians and savages with no respect for European civilisation and humanitarian values. The term "Hun" from this speech was later used for the Germans by British and other Allied propaganda during the war. The comparison was helped by the spiked '' Pickelhaube''

helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

worn by German forces until 1916, which would be reminiscent of images depicting ancient warrior helmets (not necessarily that of actual historical Huns). This usage, emphasising the idea that the Germans were barbarians, was reinforced by the propaganda utilized throughout the war. The French songwriter

Théodore Botrel Jean-Baptiste-Théodore-Marie Botrel (14 September 1868 – 28 July 1925) was a French singer-songwriter, poet and playwright. He is best known for his popular songs about his native Brittany, of which the most famous is ''La Paimpolaise''. Durin ...

described the Kaiser as "an Attila, without remorse", launching "cannibal hordes". By coincidence,

Gott mit uns ('God with us') is a phrase commonly used in heraldry in Prussia (from 1701) and later by the German military during the periods spanning the German Empire (1871 to 1918), Nazi Germany (1933 to 1945), and the early years of West Germany (1949 ...

("God is with us"), a motto first used in the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...

and later the German Empire, may have contributed to the popularization of 'Huns' as British Army slang for Germans by misreading 'uns' for 'Huns'. The usage of the term "Hun" to describe Germans resurfaced during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, although less frequently than in the previous war. For example in 1941,

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

said in a broadcast speech: "There are less than 70,000,000 malignant Huns, some of whom are curable and others killable, most of whom are already engaged in holding down Austrians, Czechs, Poles and the many other ancient races they now bully and pillage." Later that year Churchill referred to the invasion of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

as "the dull, drilled, docile brutish masses of the Hun soldiery, plodding on like a swarm of crawling locusts." During this time American President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

also referred to the German people in this way, saying that an Allied invasion into Southern France would surely "be successful and of great assistance to

Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

in driving the Huns from France."

Fritz

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

soldiers employed a variety of epithets for the Germans. ''

Fritz Fritz originated as a German nickname for Friedrich, or Frederick (''Der Alte Fritz'', and ''Stary Fryc'' were common nicknames for King Frederick II of Prussia and Frederick III, German Emperor) as well as for similar names including Fridolin a ...

'', a German pet form of Friedrich, was popular in both World War I and

Heinie (pejorative)

The

Americans Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim Ame ...

and

Canadians Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

referred to Germans, especially German soldiers, as ''Heinies'', from a diminutive of the common German male proper name Heinrich. For example, in the film '' 1941'' the

Slim Pickens Louis Burton Lindley Jr. (June 29, 1919 – December 8, 1983), better known by his stage name Slim Pickens, was an American actor and rodeo performer. Starting off in the rodeo, Pickens transitioned to acting and appeared in dozens of movies and ...

character calls a German officer "''Mr Hynee Kraut!''" Heinie is also a colloquial term for buttocks, in use since the 1920s. In German, ''

Heini Heini is both a given name and a surname. It is mainly a masculine given name in German-speaking countries, but a feminine given name in Finland. However, in Wales, it is a both masculine and feminine given name, meaning 'healthy and spirited'. Cur ...

'' is a common colloquial term with a slightly pejorative meaning similar to "moron" or "idiot", but it could be of different origin.

Jerry

61-124-W Helmet German M16, WWI (5269247140)

''Jerry'' was a nickname given to Germans mostly during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

by soldiers and civilians of the Allied nations, in particular by the British. The nickname was originally created during

. The term is the basis for the name of the

jerrycan A jerrycan (also written as jerry can or jerrican) is a robust liquid container made from pressed steel (and more recently, high density polyethylene). It was designed in Germany in the 1930s for military use to hold of fuel, and saw wides ...

. The name may simply be an alteration of the word ''German''. Alternatively, Jerry may possibly be derived from the stahlhelm introduced in 1916, which was said by British soldiers to resemble a

chamber pot A chamber pot is a portable toilet, meant for nocturnal use in the bedroom. It was common in many cultures before the advent of indoor plumbing and flushing toilets. Names and etymology "Chamber" is an older term for bedroom. The chamber pot ...

or Jeroboam.

Kraut (pejorative)

Kraut is a German word recorded in English from 1918 onwards as a derogatory term for a German, particularly a German soldier during World War I and World War II. This is probably based on

sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferm ...

, which is popular in various South German cuisines but not traditionally prepared in North Germany. The stereotype of the sauerkraut-eating German pre-dates this, as it appears in Jules Verne's depiction of the evil German industrialist Schultze as an avid sauerkraut eater in '' The Begum's Fortune''. Schultze's antagonist is an Alsatian who hates sauerkraut but pretends to love it to win his enemy's confidence. "Kraut" may refer to the practice of distributing sauerkraut on German ships to prevent

scurvy Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding ...

just as the English were referred to as

limey "Limey" (from lime / lemon) is a predominantly American slang nickname for a British person that has been around since the mid 19th century.krautrock has been commonplace in music journalism since the early 1970s and is of English invention.

Nazi (pejorative)

''Nazi'', a shortening of ''Nationalsozialist'' (National Socialist) (attested since 1903, as a shortening of ''national-sozial'',
Nazi
Etymology Online, citing Friedrich Kluge, Elmar Seebold, ''Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache'', 24. Auflage (Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2002, ) since in German the ''nati-'' in ''national'' is approximately pronounced ''Nazi''. A homonymic term ''Nazi'' was in use before the rise of the NSDAP in Bavaria as a pet name for Ignaz and (by extension from that) a derogatory word for a backwards peasant, which may have influenced the use of that abbreviation by the Nazis′ opponents and its avoidance by the Nazis themselves.

Ted

"Ted", and "Teds", from ''Tedeschi'', the Italian word for Germans, became the term used by Allied soldiers during the Italian campaign of

Teuton (poetic)

In a more poetical sense Germans can be referred to as ''Teutons''. The usage of the word in this term has been observed in English since 1833. The word originated via an ancient Germanic tribe, the

Teutons The Teutons ( la, Teutones, , grc, Τεύτονες) were an ancient northern European tribe mentioned by Roman authors. The Teutons are best known for their participation, together with the Cimbri and other groups, in the Cimbrian War with ...

and was (see also Teutonic and the

Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

Boche (pejorative)

Pronounced , ' is a derisive term used by the Allies during World War I, often collectively ("the Boche" meaning "the Germans"). It is a shortened form of the

French slang A cant is the jargon or language of a group, often employed to exclude or mislead people outside the group.McArthur, T. (ed.) ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (1992) Oxford University Press It may also be called a cryptolect, argot ...

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsCurrent History ''Current History'' is the oldest extant United States-based publication devoted exclusively to contemporary world affairs. The magazine was founded in 1914 by George Washington Ochs Oakes, brother of ''The New York Times'' publisher Adolph Ochs ...

'', the origin is as follows:

Squarehead (pejorative)

"Squarehead", a generic derogatory term for people from Germany and Scandinavia; Commonly used for Germans during the First and Second World War, but found in a collection of slang from 1906 relating particularly to German military style. The term ''Boxhead'', commonly used after World War II within the British Armed Forces in the former West Germany is derived from this.

Erics

First came to prominence in the English 1983 television show ''

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'' () is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven British construction workers who leave the United Kingdom to search for employment overseas. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in ...

''. It was a term used by the English and Irish when referring to Germans without them knowing it was them being talked about.

Other countries

Austria

Piefke (pejorative)

The

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

ethnic slur The following is a list of ethnic slurs or ethnophaulisms or ethnic epithets that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnicity or racial group or to refer to them in a derogatory, pejorative, or ot ...

for a German is ''Piefke''. Like its Bavarian counterpart ''Saupreiß'' (literally: sow-Prussian), the term ''Piefke'' historically characterized only the people of

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

, and not people of other Germanic states. There are two hypotheses on how the term developed; both of them suggest an origin in the 1860s. One theory suggests that the term came from the name of the popular Prussian composer

Johann Gottfried Piefke Johann Gottfried Piefke (9 September 1817 – 25 January 1884) was a German band leader, (''Kapellmeister'') and composer of military music. Piefke was born in Schwerin an der Warthe, Prussia (now Skwierzyna, Poland). In the 1850s, he was ...

, who composed some of the most iconic German military marches, for example ''

Preußens Gloria Preußens Gloria, Armeemarschsammlung II, 240, is a well-known military march of the 19th century, composed by Johann Gottfried Piefke (1817–1884). "Preußens Gloria" ("The Glory of Prussia" or "Prussia's Glory") was written in 1871 after the ...

'' and the '' Königgrätzer Marsch'' – particularly since Piefke and his brother conducted the Prussian music corps in the parade in Austria following the Prussian victory of the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. The second theory suggests an origin in the

Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War ( da, Krigen i 1864; german: Deutsch-Dänischer Krieg) also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War was the second military conflict over the Schleswig-Holstein Question of the nineteenth century. ...

in 1864, where Prussians and Austrians were allies. A Prussian soldier with the name ''Piefke'' and a stereotypically ''Prussian'' gruff and snappy manner made such a negative impression on his Austrian comrades that the term came to refer to all Prussians. Since Prussia no longer exists, the term now refers to the cliché of a pompous northern

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

German in general and a

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

er in particular. However, the citizens of the free

Hanseatic The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=German language, Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Norther ...

cities and the former northern duchies of Oldenburg, Brunswick and Mecklenburg are also quite offended by the terms ''Piefke'' and also by ''Saupreiß'' (a slur for any German who is not native Bavarian). In 1990, Austrian playwright Felix Mitterer wrote and co-directed a TV mini-series, ''Die Piefke-Saga'', about Germans on holiday in

Tyrol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...

. Sometimes the alteration "Piefkinese" is used. Some Austrians use the playful term "Piefkinesisch" (Pief-Chinese) to refer to German spoken in a distinctly northern German – that is, not Austrian – accent.

Marmeladinger (pejorative)

The term ''Marmeladinger'' originated in the trenches of World War I. It is derived from the German word "Marmelade", which is a

fruit preserve Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the meth ...

. While Austrian infantry rations included butter and lard as

spread Spread may refer to: Places * Spread, West Virginia Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Spread'' (film), a 2009 film. * ''$pread'', a quarterly magazine by and for sex workers * "Spread", a song by OutKast from their 2003 album ''Speakerboxxx/T ...

, German troops had to make do with cheaper

ersatz An ersatz good () is a substitute good, especially one that is considered inferior to the good it replaces. It has particular connotations of wartime usage. Etymology ''Ersatz'' is a German word literally meaning ''substitute'' or ''replaceme ...

"Marmelade". They disdainfully called it ''Heldenbutter'' "hero's butter" or '' Hindenburgfett''. This earned them ridicule from their Austrian allies who would call them ''Marmeladebrüder'' (jam brothers) or ''Marmeladinger'' (-''inger'' being an Austrian

derivational suffix In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the Stem (linguistics), stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns, adjectives, and verb endings, which form the Grammatical conjugation ...

describing a person through a characteristic item or action). Germans would conversely call Austrians ''Kamerad Schnürschuh'' "comrade lace-up shoe" because the Austrian infantry boots used laces while the German boots did not. This term has survived, but it is rarely used.

Serbia

Švabo, Švaba (pejorative)

The Term ''Švabo'' (Cyrillic: Швабо) is most often used in jokes but also very popularly used by the

Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод� ...

during the Second World War. In the SFR Yugoslavia it was commonly used in movies depicting battles betweens the Partisans and Nazi forces. The word in its origin is not pejorative since it is used to depict a person from the German region of Swabia; however, the word probably entered the Serbian languages in relation to the

Danube Swabians The Danube Swabians (german: Donauschwaben ) is a collective term for the ethnic German-speaking population who lived in various countries of central-eastern Europe, especially in the Danube River valley, first in the 12th century, and in grea ...

. The variant Švaba (Шваба) is primarily used in the Serbian language. The female form is ''Švabica'' (Швабица). In

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

and Slovak
šváb
also means 'cockroach', but the association with a word for Germans still exists.

China

Jiamen (colloquial)

In Shanghainese, a German can be colloquially called a ''Jiamen'' (茄門/茄门), which is an adaptation of the English word "German". This word carries a somewhat negative meaning of a stereotypical German being proud, withdrawn, cold and serious. Today, this phrase, when pronounced as "Ga-Men", can mean "disdainful, indifferent, or uninterested in someone or something".

Chile

Among the Mapuche-Huilliche of

Futahuillimapu Futahuillimapu or Fütawillimapu is a traditional territory of the Huilliche people. Futahuillimapu spans the land between Bueno River and Reloncaví Sound. Futahuillimapu means "great land of the south." Back in the 18th century when this territ ...

in southern Chile German settlers are known as ''leupe lonko'' meaning blond heads.

Czech Republic

, a German can be called a ''Skopčák'' (skopchāk), originally meaning just someone from the highlands (of the Sudeten mountains). Due to the negative perception of the Sudeten Germans′ role in the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia in 1938–9, it is generally perceived negatively, relating to rough and stupid manners ascribed to Germans (skopová hlava - muttonhead).

Finland

During the

Lapland War During World War II, the Lapland War ( fi , Lapin sota; sv, Lapplandskriget; german: Lapplandkrieg) saw fighting between Finland and Nazi Germany – effectively from September to November 1944 – in Finland's northernmost region, Lapland. ...

between

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

and Germany, the terms ''saku'', ''sakemanni'', ''hunni'' and ''lapinpolttaja'' (burner of Lapland, see:

) became widely used among the Finnish soldiers, ''saku'' and ''sakemanni'' being modified from ''saksalainen'' (German).

France

Boches (pejorative, historical)

''Boches'' is an

apheresis Apheresis ( ἀφαίρεσις (''aphairesis'', "a taking away")) is a medical technology in which the blood of a person is passed through an apparatus that separates out one particular constituent and returns the remainder to the circulation ...

of the word ''alboche'', which in turn is a

blend A blend is a mixture of two or more different things or substances; e.g., a product of a mixer or blender. Blend Blend may also refer to: * Blend word, a word formed from parts of other words * ''Blend'' (album), a 1996 album by BoDeans * ...

of ''allemand'' (French for German) and ''caboche'' (slang for ''head''). It was used mainly during the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and

s, and directed especially at German soldiers.

Casque à pointe (historical)

''Casque à pointe'' is derived from the French name for the traditional Prussian military helmets worn by German soldiers from the 1840s until

. In modern

French Sign Language French Sign Language (french: langue des signes française, LSF) is the sign language of the deaf in France and French-speaking parts of Switzerland. According to ''Ethnologue'', it has 100,000 native signers. French Sign Language is relate ...

the word for Germany continues to be an index finger pointed to the top of the forehead, simulating the Pickelhaube.

Chleuh (pejorative)

''Chleuh'' derives from the name of the

Chleuh The Shilha people (, ), or Ishelhien, or Chleuh are a Berber subgroup primarily inhabiting the Anti Atlas, High Atlas, Sous Valley, and Soussi coastal regions of Morocco. Overview The Shilha people traditionally call themselves ''ishelhien''. ...

, a Berber ethnic group in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

. It also denotes the absence of words beginning in Schl- in French.

Germany

Ossi/Wessi

The term ''Ossi'', derived from the German word ''Osten'' which means east, is used in Germany for people who were born in the area of the former

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...

. The term ''Wessi'', derived from the German word ''Westen'' which means west, is used in Germany for people who were born or live in the old states of Germany (those that formed the Federal Republic or "West Germany" before reunification). Sometimes it is also modified to "Besserwessi", from the German word ''Besserwisser'' which means

Know-it-all ''Know-It-All'' is the debut studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Alessia Cara. It was released on November 13, 2015 through Def Jam Recordings. The album followed the release of her debut extended play (EP) ''Four Pink Walls'' (2015), w ...

, reflecting the stereotype that people from the Western part of Germany are arrogant. In 2010 there was a lawsuit in Germany because a job applicant was denied employment and her application was found to have the notation "Ossi" and a minus sign written on her application documents. A German court decided that denial of employment for such a reason would be discrimination, but not ethnic discrimination, since "East German" is not an ethnicity.

Other Terms

The term ''

Kartoffel Kartoffel (German for ''potato'') is a derogatory slang term used by other cultures to describe Germans. It is also used in a humorous way and as a self-denomination. History "Kartoffel" refers to a person of German descent, particularly an e ...

'' (German for potato) is a derogatory slang term used by other cultures to describe Germans. It is also used in a humorous way and as a self-denomination. The term ''Saupreiß'', derived from the German words ''Sau'' (= 'sow') which means female pig and ''Preuße'' which means Prussian, is used in

for people who were born or live in any German area north of the

Danube river The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

, or at least north of the Bavarian border. A number of other terms exist. Similar to the Polish ''Szwab'', the term ''Schwab'' can be pejorative and be used to express Schwabenhass. Various – more or less good-humoured – nicknames are being used between the different German states or areas, such as ''Gelbfüßler'' ("Yellowfeet") for the inhabitants of

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden i ...

Hungary

Sváb

The term ''sváb'' derives from the German word "Schwaben", describing people from Swabia (ger: Schwaben). The first German-speaking people, Saxon merchants and miners, later becoming

Carpathian Germans Carpathian Germans (german: Karpatendeutsche, Mantaken, hu, kárpátnémetek or ''felvidéki németek'', sk, karpatskí Nemci) are a group of ethnic Germans. The term was coined by the historian Raimund Friedrich Kaindl (1866–1930), originall ...

, first arrived to the

Carpathian basin The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large Sedimentary basin, basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The Geomorphology, geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewh ...

(then mostly under rule of the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

) in the 12th century, their numbers and territory of settlement were limited, mainly in towns. In the 18th century various German-speaking peasant groups settled in Hungary in large numbers to inhabit the vast territories being depopulated during the Osman rule, they are known as

(Donauschwaben), though most of their forefathers have Bavarian or

Thuringian Thuringian is an East Central German dialect group spoken in much of the modern German Free State of Thuringia north of the Rennsteig ridge, southwestern Saxony-Anhalt and adjacent territories of Hesse and Bavaria. It is close to Upper Saxon sp ...

roots. They settled mainly where the destruction was most severe, especially around Buda (now part of

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

Danube valley The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

and southern part of Hungary. Although they have assimilated in large parts until the beginning of the 20th century, they maintained strong cultural identity up to date. These people, and through them German people in general are called ''svábok'' (plural), having a hint of pejorative nature.

Labanc

The term ''labanc'' came into use during Rákóczi's War of Independence. It was specifically used for the soldiers fighting for the Austrian/German soldiers of the Habsburg rulers. There are multiple theories about where it came from, such as being a strange concatenation of the German term "Lauf Hans!" (Run Hans!) or the French term ''Le Blanc'' (the white one), it might also be a reference to the Hungarian word ''lobonc'' which referred to the large, common wig, which used to be common in the Vienna court at the time. Now ''Labanc'' is exclusively used for Austrians, but becomes rare in usage as there are no tensions between the two countries. Still however, the expression describes mentality or behaviour that is counter to general Hungarian interest and describes persons not content with "true" Hungarian values.

Israel

Yekke

For the Jews who came from the German speaking world, there was a word in use for many years : "

Yekke A Yekke (also ''Jecke'') is a Jew of German-speaking origin. German Jews are perceived in Israel as having attention to detail and punctuality. Demography The wave of immigration to British Mandatory Palestine in the 1930s and 1940s known as ...

", in

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

and

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

. One of the explanations of the name in Hebrew is "Yehudi Kshe Havana" יהודי קשה הבנה "A Jew who hardly understands" for the so called "stiffness of their mentality".

Italy

Crucco (pejorative)

The term ''crucco'' derived from the Croatian and Slovenian ''kruh'' ("bread"). Italian soldiers invented this word during World War I when they captured some hungry Austrian-Croatian and Austrian-Slovenian soldiers who asked for "kruh". Later, during World War II, it was applied to German people.

Tuder / Tudro (pejorative)

''Tudro'' designates Germans as a people lacking flexibility and fantasy, but also emotional intelligence. It is more widely adopted to describe a sturdy and stupid man. Tudro is mainly used in Northern Italy. ''Tuder'' is the Lombard usage of the word.

Latvia

Fricis

''Fricis'' derives from the German name Fritz.

Zili pelēkie

''Zili pelēkie'', literally translated, means "The Blue-Grays", from the Prussian war uniforms of the pre-

era. The term appeared in a popular Latvian legionnaire wartime song ''Ik katru sestdien's vakaru'' ("Every saturday night") about trouncing the blue-grays after beating up reds (''sarkanos'') or lice-infested ones (''utainos'') – the

Soviets Soviet people ( rus, сове́тский наро́д, r=sovyétsky naród), or citizens of the USSR ( rus, гра́ждане СССР, grázhdanye SSSR), was an umbrella demonym for the population of the Soviet Union. Nationality policy in ...

Netherlands and Belgium

Mof (pejorative)

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

the most common term for the

German people , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

, after the regular/official "Duitse", is ''mof''. It is regarded as a pejorative term, used exclusively for Germans and reflecting Dutch resentment of the

German occupation of the Netherlands Despite Dutch neutrality, Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940 as part of Fall Gelb (Case Yellow). On 15 May 1940, one day after the bombing of Rotterdam, the Dutch forces surrendered. The Dutch government and the royal family re ...

during the

and the respective German actions.Prisma Etymologisch woordenboek, . "''Mof heeft historisch gezien niet de huidige betekenis (die van een verwijzing naar de Duitsers en hun acties tijdens de Tweede wereldoorlog) maar …''" In the late 16th century the area just beyond the current northeast border between the Netherlands and Germany now known as East Frisia and Emsland, as well as the people that lived there, used to be referred to as ''Muffe''. Some time later it evolved into an informal designation, still not a pejorative, of someone from Germany in general; however the term seemed to have died out around 1900. Then it was revived to a far greater use and with negative connotations ever since Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940.Why Germans are called "''moffen''"
(

) A popular humorous (but false) etymology of the word ''mof'' by the

is that it is a

abbreviation meaning ''Menschen ohne Freunde'' ("people without friends"). Germany was known as ''Mofrika'', an amalgamation of ''mof'' and ''Afrika'', during WW2.

Pruus(j)

''Pruus'' or ''Pruusj'', is a friendly but somewhat mocking term, used in the south eastern part of The Netherlands as part of the '

Limburg Limburg or Limbourg may refer to: Regions * Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium * Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands * Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...

dialect'.

Poep

''Poep'' is a term used in the northern eastern part of The Netherlands, in the province of Drenthe, referring to a German from nearby

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

. It is said that the etymological reference points to the German word ''Bube'' (=boy) yet this is unconfirmed. * A ''blaaspoep'' is a German playing a brass instrument * ''blaaspoepenmuziek'' is German brass band music * ''Poepenland'' refers to Germany

Poland

Fryc (pejorative)

Means

novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...

, and comes from the German name

, which is a diminutive of Friedrich. German trade and settlements acquainted Poles with this name. German coming to Poland was actually a novice hence was called ''Fryc''.

Prusak (pejorative)

Historically characterized only the people of

, not people of other Germanic states. During Partitions of Poland under

Prussian Partition The Prussian Partition ( pl, Zabór pruski), or Prussian Poland, is the former territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth acquired during the Partitions of Poland, in the late 18th century by the Kingdom of Prussia. The Prussian acquis ...

gained negative connotations. ''Prusak'' also refers to

German cockroach The German cockroach (''Blattella germanica''), colloquially known as the croton bug, is a species of small cockroach, typically about long. In color it varies from tan to almost black, and it has two dark, roughly parallel, streaks on the prono ...

Szkop (pejorative)

Contemptuous term for a German, especially a soldier of the Wehrmacht during World War II. In the past, the word ''szkop'' in the

Polish language Polish (Polish: ''język polski'', , ''polszczyzna'' or simply ''polski'', ) is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group written in the Latin script. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In a ...

meant a castrated ram.

Szwab (pejorative)

Another popular term, originally meaning a person from Swabia. It is worth noting that a colloquial verb "oszwabić" means "to rook", "to fleece".

Other terms

Another pejorative term for a German (and, stereotypically, unattractive) woman is ''niemra'', coming from a word "Niemka" (a woman of German nationality). This term can also mean a female German language teacher or German language classes. Similarly, the term for the Germans can be ''niemiaszki''. It does not have to be pejorative, it may be permissive or irreverent, but it may also be used in an almost caressing way. Next term is ''

Helmut Helmut is a German name. Variants include Hellmut, Helmuth, and Hellmuth. From old German, the first element deriving from either ''heil'' ("healthy") or ''hiltja'' ("battle"), and the second from ''muot'' ("spirit, mind, mood"). Helmut may ref ...

'' that refers to the popular German name. Another pejorative term for a German is '' szołdra'' (plural: ''szołdry''). However, it is an

old Polish The Old Polish language ( pl, język staropolski, staropolszczyzna) was a period in the history of the Polish language between the 10th and the 16th centuries. It was followed by the Middle Polish language. The sources for the study of the Ol ...

term, out of use nowadays. It can be found in 19th century historical novels by Henryk Sienkiewicz and

Józef Ignacy Kraszewski Józef Ignacy Kraszewski (28 July 1812 – 19 March 1887) was a Polish writer, publisher, historian, journalist, scholar, painter, and author who produced more than 200 novels and 150 novellas, short stories, and art reviews, which makes him the ...

. It comes from a term meaning pork or ham. Next pejorative and historical term is ''pluder'' came from

Hose (clothing) Hose are any of various styles of men's clothing for the legs and lower body, worn from the Middle Ages through the 17th century, when the style fell out of use in favour of breeches and stockings. The old plural form of "hose" was "hosen". In ...

being the part of warderobe.

Russia

Fritz, — the German name

Gans, — the German name Hans Kolbasnik, - an outdated (used mostly before 1940s) pejorative term, which verbally meant "a sausage-maker".

Spain

Tudesco (historical)

Early Modern Spanish Early Modern Spanish (also called ''classical Spanish'' or '' Golden Age Spanish'', especially in literary contexts) is the variant of Spanish used between the end of the fifteenth century and the end of the seventeenth century, marked by a serie ...

(for example in ''

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of West ...

''), ''tudesco'' (cognate with ''deutsch'' and the Italian ''tedesco'') was used sometimes as a general name for Germans''

'', Second Part, chapter LIV,

Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best kno ...

Sancho Panza Sancho Panza () is a fictional character in the novel ''Don Quixote'' written by Spanish author Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in 1605. Sancho acts as squire to Don Quixote and provides comments throughout the novel, known as ''sanchismos'', ...

meets some pilgrims (''alemán o tudesco'') from

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ...

. and sometimes restricted to

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...

.
tudesco
' in the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española.''Don Quixote'', Second part, chapter V: ''¿Cuántos son los alemanes, tudescos, franceses, españoles, italianos y esguízaros?'' "How many are the Almains, Dutch, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Italians and Swiss?"

Switzerland

Gummihals (pejorative)

German for ''rubber-neck''. The term has been verified to be in use since the 1970s at least. Its actual meaning is subject to debate. Theories include the stereotype of Germans talking too much or nodding their heads endlessly when listening to superiors.Bruno Ziauddin: Grüezi Gummihälse. Warum uns die Deutschen manchmal auf die Nerven gehen. Rowohlt, Reinbek 2008,

Schwab (pejorative)

The ordinary (non-pejorative) meaning is people from Swabia (roughly Baden-Württemberg) in South Germany, neighbouring Switzerland, but in Switzerland it is used for any German. A strengthening is Sauschwabe.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terms Used For Germans, List Of Terms German culture-related lists