English
germling
From germ + -ling.
Formed from germ + -ling
Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- ‘to produce’
Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁mn̥ ‘offspring”, “seed’
Proto-Italic *genamen
Latin germen ‘bud, seed, embryo’
Middle French germe ‘seed’
English germ
Today it means
noun the organism produced by germination of an algal or fungal spore, but especially an immature gametophyte produced by the germination of a tetraspore.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / germling