English
genial
Genial comes from Latin geniālis ‘of or pertaining to marriage’, from genius ‘guardian spirit’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- ‘to beget’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵenh₁-‘to beget’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgenius‘guardian spirit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEgeniālis‘of or pertaining to marriage’
- Englishearliest quotation 1650genial
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵenh₁-‘to beget’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgenius‘guardian spirit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEgeniālis‘of or pertaining to marriage’
- Englishearliest quotation 1650genial
Earliest quotation: 1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […]: “natural incapacity and genial indisposition”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- ‘to beget’
kind, king, nature, nation, general, german, native, engine, pregnant, generation, gender, genuine, genetic, ken, generate, indigenous, generous, oxygen, gene, naive, gentle, kin, genre, noel, hydrogen, genocide, innate, nee, genus, nativity, natal, nada, naïve, janata, germ, nascent, puny, ingenious, cognate, gentile, 114 more
through Latin genius ‘guardian spirit’
Another origin of genial
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*génewyomreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγένειονgéneion‘chin’
- Englishtodaygenial
Today it means
adj Friendly and cheerful; enlivening.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- / genial