English
general
General comes from Middle English general, from Anglo-Norman general, from Latin generālis, from genus ‘class, kind’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- ‘to produce’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵenh₁-‘to produce, beget’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵénh₁os‘race’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*genosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgenus‘class, kind’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEgenerālis‘general’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400general
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500general‘universal’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1495general
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵenh₁-‘to produce, beget’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵénh₁os‘race’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*genosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgenus‘class, kind’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEgenerālis‘general’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400general
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500general‘universal’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1495general
Earliest quotation: c. 1495, John Skelton: “It is generall / To be mortall: / I…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- ‘to produce’
kind, king, nature, nation, native, pregnant, german, engine, ken, genius, indigenous, genuine, naive, genetic, gentle, kin, noel, innate, genesis, nativity, natal, nada, naïve, ingenious, janata, nee, nascent, genital, puny, germ, gentile, cognate, degenerate, jaunty, degeneration, gens, azadi, genteel, gingerly, genitive, 101 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os ‘race, lineage’
oxygen, hydrogen, genocide, genealogy, glycogen, estrogenic, 28 more
through Proto-Italic *genos
transgender, engender, 14 more
through Latin genus
gender, genre, genuinely, genus, regeneration, regenerate, 16 more
Today it means
adj Including or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole, etc.; common to all, universal.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- / general