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We observe that the first really big contact between Germanic tribes and Rome took place when Gaius Iulius Caesar was campaigning 'in Gaul'.

That illustrates that Germans have borrowed  all available titles: Caesar, Imperator, Augustus. While Augustus is only used in latinised titles and declined in meaning and understandability, Imperator remained a decidedly foreign word. Kaiser was the first, thge most enduring, the most popular of these forms. And when a German speaking peasant would ask what the various long Latin titles (containing some form of Augustus) of Germanic emperors would come to mean, the answer would again be "Kaiser!"

Caesar came first, and Caesar remained.

We observe that the first really big contact between Germanic tribes and Rome took place when Gaius Iulius Caesar was campaigning 'in Gaul'.

That illustrates that Germans have really borrowed all available titles: Caesar, Imperator, Augustus. 

While Augustus as a title is only used in Latin forms of titles and as a word declined in meaning and understandability, Caesar/Kaiser remained a very scarce given name. But August became common from the 14th century onward and besides also signifying a month it also took on a row of unfortunate connotations. Imperator remained a decidedly foreign word. Kaiser was the first, the most enduring, the most popular of these forms. And when a German speaking peasant would ask what the various long Latin titles (containing some form of Augustus) of Germanic emperors would come to mean, the answer would again be "Kaiser!"

We observe also that under his adopted nephew Octavian the largest forays of Rome into Germanic lands was undertaken, bordering on colonising and pvincialising Germany up to the Elbe river. The well known Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place when Octavian was imperator, when we call him Augustus.

We observe also that under his adopted nephew Octavian the largest forays of Rome into Germanic lands was undertaken, bordering on colonising and provincialising Germany up to the Elbe river. The well known Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place when Octavian was imperator, when we call him Augustus.

• Gaius Octavius Thurinus (/ɒkˈteɪviəs/): He received his birth name, after his biological father, in 63 BC. "Gaius" was his praenomen, "Octavius" was his nomen, and "Thurinus" was his cognomen. Later, his rival Mark Antony used the name "Thurinus" as an insult, to which Augustus replied, surprised that "using his old name was thought to be an insult".56

That illustrates that Germans have borrowed all available titles: Caesar, Imperator, Augustus. While Augustus is only used in latinised titles and declined in meaning and understandability, Imperator remained a decidedly foreign word. Kaiser was the first, thge most enduring, the most popular of these forms. And when a German speaking peasant would ask what the various long Latin titles (containing some form of Augustus) of Germanic emperors would come to mean, the answer would again be "Kaiser!"

• Gaius Octavius Thurinus (/ɒkˈteɪviəs/): He received his birth name, after his biological father, in 63 BC. "Gaius" was his praenomen, "Octavius" was his nomen, and "Thurinus" was his cognomen. Later, his rival Mark Antony used the name "Thurinus" as an insult, to which Augustus replied, surprised that "using his old name was thought to be an insult".54

That illustrates that Germans have borrowed all available titles: Caesar, Imperator, Augustus. While Augustus is only used in latinised titles and declined in meaning and understandability, Imperator remained a decidedly foreign word. Kaiser was the first, thge most enduring, the most popular of these forms. And when a German speaking peasant would ask what the various long Latin titles (containing some form of Augustus) of Germanic emperors would come to mean, the answer would again be "Kaiser!"

That means that in medieval times the full title was a legal thing, and as such Latin dominated. Only the colloquial translation into the tongue of the people was still the old germanised word. That this got somewhat out of hand in being complicated is evidenced by the long-form of the titles of the kaisers of Austria. 'Long' as in three pages long.

When the German Empire was founded in 1871 the nationalist mood and complicated power politics within the Reich and in regard to Austria called for a simpler solution. A title that would still allow kings within Germany but also elevate the Prussian Hohenzollern king above the others. Thus the function of Federal President of the Reich got named with the word for 'biggest honcho in the empire' from 2000 years ago: Kaiser.