γένος

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Ancient Greek

Etymology

    From Proto-Hellenic *génos. Cognate with Latin genus, Sanskrit जनस् (jánas), Old Armenian ծին (cin), among others; see also γίγνομαι (gígnomai, to be born).

    Pronunciation

     

    Noun

    γένος (génosn (genitive γένεος or γένους); third declension

    1. race, stock, kin
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 13.354:
        ἀμφοτέροισιν ὁμὸν γένος ἠδ᾽ ἴα πάτρη
      1. direct descent, as opposed to collateral relationship
        • 4th century BC, Isaeus, Ciron 33:
          γένος γὰρ ἀλλ᾽ οὐχὶ συγγένεια τοῦτ᾽ ἐστίν
    2. offspring, descendant
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 6.180:
        ἣ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔην θεῖον γένος οὐδ᾽ ἀνθρώπων
      1. (collective) offspring, posterity
    3. (in general) race of beings
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 12.23:
        ἡμιθέων γένος ἀνδρῶν
        hēmithéōn génos andrôn
      1. family, clan, house
        • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.35.1:
          Φρὺξ μὲν γενεῇ, γένεος δὲ τοῦ βασιληΐου
          Phrùx mèn geneêi, géneos dè toû basilēḯou
      2. tribe, nation, race, as a subdivision of ἔθνος (éthnos)
      3. caste
        • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 2.164.1:
          ἔστι δὲ Αἰγυπτίων ἑπτὰ γένεα
          ésti dè Aiguptíōn heptà génea
          The Egyptians are divided into seven classes
      4. breed of animals
    4. age, generation, time of life
    5. sex, gender
      1. (grammar) grammatical gender
    6. class, sort, kind
      • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cynegeticus 3.1:
        Τὰ δὲ γένη τῶν κυνῶν διττά
        Tà dè génē tôn kunôn dittá
        The hounds used are of two kinds
      1. (logic) the opposite of εἶδος (eîdos, species)
      2. (taxonomy) class
        1. (taxonomy) genus
        2. species of plant; crop, produce; material
          • 371 BCE – 287 BCE, Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants 4.8.13
          • PTeb. 66.43:
            ἄλλοις γένεσι τοῖς πρὸς πυρὸν διοικουμένοις
            állois génesi toîs pròs puròn dioikouménois
      3. element

    Declension

    Descendants

    • Aramaic: גניסא, גנסא
    • Greek: γένος (génos)

    References

    Greek

    Etymology

    From Ancient Greek γένος (génos). Also see γίγνομαι (gígnomai, I am born).

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ʝenos/
    • Audio:(file)
    • Hyphenation: γέ‧νος

    Noun

    γένος (génosn (plural γένη)

    1. family
    2. nation
    3. (taxonomy, biology) genus
    4. (grammar) gender (masculine, feminine, etc)
    5. maiden name, née
      Η Ελένη Παπαδοπούλου, το γένος Μενεγάκη.
      I Eléni Papadopoúlou, to génos Menegáki.
      Eleni Papadopoulou née Menegaki.

    Declension

    singular plural
    nominative γένος (génos) γένη (géni)
    genitive γένους (génous) γενών (genón)
    accusative γένος (génos) γένη (géni)
    vocative γένος (génos) γένη (géni)

    Coordinate terms

    and see

    Further reading