Where does “generic” come from?

Generic comes from Middle French générique, from Latin genus meaning a kind or class, from Proto-Italic genos, from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- meaning to produce or beget.

generic (English): very comprehensive; pertaining or appropriate to...

Definitions

  1. very comprehensive; pertaining or appropriate to...

Ancestry of “generic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchgénérique—
2Latingenusbirth, origin, lineage, descent; kind, type,...
3Proto-Italicgenoslineage, origin
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵénh₁osrace, lineage
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth

Words derived from “generic”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →