bloodline
UK[ˈblʌdlaɪn]US[ˈblʌdlaɪn]
n
The sequence of people related by birth from whom a person or animal is descended, especially when considering a characteristic or quality passed through generations.
Morpheme Breakdown
blood
line
blood
line
Etymology
The word 'bloodline' is a transparent compound formed from two native English elements, 'blood' and 'line', to create a metaphorical concept. 'Blood', from Proto-Germanic blōþam, has long been used in Germanic languages to signify familial relationship and ancestry, as in the concept of "blood relatives." 'Line', ultimately from Latin 'linea' meaning "linen thread, string," evolved to denote a continuous series or sequence. The compound 'bloodline' therefore logically constructs the meaning of a direct, unbroken sequence of descent, visualized as a genealogical line connected by the shared 'blood' of kinship, with its modern use emphasizing hereditary continuity, especially in animals and royalty.
Analysis
Structure: blood + line
- blood (Old English 'blōd'): The red liquid in the bodies of humans and animals; used metaphorically for family, kinship, or descent.
- line (Latin 'linea' via Old English 'līne' and Old French 'ligne'): A long, thin mark; a connected series of people or things following one after another.
Examples
The champion racehorse comes from a distinguished bloodline known for its speed and stamina.
She can trace her royal bloodline back over five centuries.
Breeders carefully select dogs to maintain the purity of the bloodline.