genealogy
UK[ˌdʒiːniˈælədʒi]US[ˌdʒiːniˈælədʒi]
n
the study of the history of the past and present members of a family, or a particular person's ancestors.
n
a chart or diagram showing the history of a family over many generations.
Morpheme Breakdown
genea
logy
genea
race, family
logy
study, discourse
Etymology
the word 'genealogy' is a direct borrowing from old french 'genealogie', which itself derives from late latin 'genealogia'. this latin term was adapted from the greek 'genealogia', a compound of 'genea' (race, family, generation) and '-logia' (denoting a branch of knowledge or study). the greek root 'genea' is connected to the verb 'gignesthai' (to be born), which traces back to the proto-indo-european root gene- meaning 'to give birth, beget'. thus, the literal 'study of family or lineage' has been preserved from its ancient greek origins into its modern english usage, maintaining its core focus on tracing lines of descent.
Analysis
Structure: genea (race, family) + logy (study, discourse)
genea originates from greek 'genea', meaning 'race, generation, family'. logy originates from greek '-logia', meaning 'the study of' or 'discourse about'.
Examples
she spent years researching her family's genealogy.
the book provides a detailed genealogy of the royal house.
dna testing has become a popular tool for exploring personal genealogy.