Where does “general” come from?
General derives from Middle English general, from Middle French general, from Latin generalis, an adjective formed from Latin genus meaning kind or race, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- meaning to beget or produce.
general (English): Including or involving every part or member of a...
Definitions
- Including or involving every part or member of a...
Ancestry of “general”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | general | universal, complete; comprehensive, wide-ranging;... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | general | general |
| 3 | Latin | generalis | general, generic |
| 4 | Latin | genus | birth, origin, lineage, descent; kind, type,... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | genos | lineage, origin |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁os | race, lineage |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |