Right off, you’d be correct in thinking Germaine versus germane is an heterograph (a subset of homophone). You’d also be right in figuring that there is a difference between the two.
The first is a proper name — a woman’s name (for a man’s name, leave off the “e”) — and the second is an adjective. Think relevant, appropriate, to the point, etc.
This word confusion cropped up as I was reading, and the author was going nuts with things being “germaine” to plans, actions, etc.
If you’re going to be proofreading your own work, check the spelling of words you don’t commonly use. I find so many mis-used words these days. Hmmm, there is something to be said for 18th century (and back) spellings. You could never be wrong.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noir for you from either end.
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| Germaine | germane |
|---|---|
.jpg)
Germaine Greer, June 1972, by Hans Peters / Anefo is under the CC BY-SA 23.0 Netherlands license, via Wikimedia Commons. |
A Square Peg is Not Germane to a Round Hole by aitoff is under the Pixabay License, via Pixabay. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun, proper
Male given name: Germain Plural: Germaines, Germains |
Adjective |
| A female given name | Relevant to a subject under consideration
[Obsolete] Closely related |
| Examples: | |
| Germaine Greer was an Australian feminist and writer, who first achieved recognition with The Female Eunuch.
That bright, sunny morning, Germaine was reluctant to get out of bed. Germaine Tailleferre was a French composer and pianist, who composed concertos for unusual combinations of instruments. |
That is not germane to our theme.
Please keep your statements germane to the issue. I think they’re germane, and they help explain what’s going on here. Any sound that was not germane to the night would alert them. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: nongermane, ungermane Adverb: germanely Noun: germaneness |
|
| History of the Word: | |
| The feminine of Germain, which derives from a Roman name meaning brotherly.
The most common “translation” I’ve found is from the French German or from Germany. |
Early 17th century, as a variant of german, with which it was synonymous from the Middle English.
The current sense has arisen from a usage in Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “The phrase would be more germane to the matter if we could carry cannon by our sides”. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Germaine versus germane
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: germane
Lexico.com: germane
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Square Peg in a Round Hole by Sue Adair is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. St Germain is the patron saint of the abused.
