Where does “genii” come from?

Genii comes from English genie, derived from French génie, from Latin genius meaning "attendant spirit" or "inborn character," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- meaning "to beget" or "produce."

genii (English): plural of genius; guardian spirits; plural of...

Definitions

  1. plural of genius; guardian spirits; plural of...

Ancestry of “genii”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgenieA jinn, a being descended from the jann, normally...
2Frenchgéniegenie; genius
3Latingeniusthe deity or guardian spirit of a person, place,...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →
genii — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer