English
genetic
Genetic was coined from genesis (as antithetic from antithesis), from Greek γένεσις ‘origin’, ultimately from γίγνομαι ‘I come into being’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵenh₁-‘to beget’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵíǵn̥h₁eti‘to engender’reconstructedreduplicated present stem of *ǵenh₁-
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gígnomaireconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγίγνομαιgígnomai‘I come into being’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEγένεσις‘origin, source’
- English1500–presentgenesis
- Englishearliest quotation 1858genetic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵenh₁-‘to beget’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵíǵn̥h₁eti‘to engender’reconstructedreduplicated present stem of *ǵenh₁-
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gígnomaireconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγίγνομαιgígnomai‘I come into being’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEγένεσις‘origin, source’
- English1500–presentgenesis
- Englishearliest quotation 1858genetic
Earliest quotation: 1858, Year-Book Of Facts In Science And Art Fo: “All evidence tends to this conclusion, that the sun…”
Formed from genesis + -etic
Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- ‘to produce’
Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁tis ‘birth, production’
Proto-Hellenic *génetis ‘origin, source’
Ancient Greek γένεσις ‘origin, source, beginning’
Latin genesis ‘generation, nativity’
English genesis
The story
Coined from genesis, similarly to antithesis, antithetic.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- ‘to beget’
kind, king, nature, general, german, nation, pregnant, native, generation, gender, engineer, ken, indigenous, oxygen, genuine, naive, gentle, genre, generate, kin, generous, noel, hydrogen, genocide, innate, natal, generic, genus, generosity, nada, naïve, nativity, janata, germ, nee, nascent, genealogy, puny, genitalia, cognate, 110 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵíǵn̥h₁eti ‘to engender’
engine, genius, genital, ingenious, 11 more
through Ancient Greek γένεσις ‘origin, source’
Today it means
adj Relating to genetics or genes.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- / genetic