Etymology Map
Back to all words

U-boat

2 stages from German to English.

Today it means a German submarine

Where does the word "u-boat" come from? It comes from German U-Boot, adopted directly into English (1910s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
U-Boot
German · 1900s
"submarine"
short for 'Unterseeboot', undersea boat
2
Stage 2 of 2
U-boat
English · 1910s
"German submarine"
used during the First World War, when U-boats sank the Lusitania in 1915
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

U-boat’s story begins in German: U-Boot meant “submarine.” Short for 'Unterseeboot', undersea boat. It reached English by 1910s as U-boat. Used during the First World War, when U-boats sank the Lusitania in 1915. Today, u-boat means a German submarine.