Where does “generous” come from?
Generous comes from Middle French genereux, from Latin generosus meaning of noble birth, derived from Latin genus meaning family or race, from Proto-Italic genos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- meaning to beget or produce.
generous (English): Noble in behaviour or actions; principled, not...
Definitions
- Noble in behaviour or actions; principled, not...
Ancestry of “generous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | genereux | generous |
| 2 | Latin | generōsus | — |
| 3 | Latin | genus | birth, origin, lineage, descent; kind, type,... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | genos | lineage, origin |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁os | race, lineage |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |
Words derived from “generous”