progenitor
English
WOTD – 5 July 2009
Alternative forms
- progenitour (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English, from Middle French progeniteur (Modern French progéniteur), from Latin progenitor, from progenitus, perfect participle of progignere (“to beget”), itself from pro- (“forth”) + gignere (“to beget”).
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /pɹəʊˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪ.tə/, /pɹəˈd͡ʒɛn.ə.tə/
Audio (UK) (file)
- (US) IPA(key): /pɹoʊˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪ.tɚ/, /pɹəˈd͡ʒɛn.ə.tɚ/
Noun
progenitor (plural progenitors)
- A forefather, any of a person's direct ancestors.
- Synonyms: ancestor, forefather
- Coordinate terms: progenitrix, foremother
- An individual from whom one or more people (dynasty, tribe, nation...) are descended.
- Abraham alias Ibrahim is the presumed progenitor of both the Jewish and Arab peoples.
- (biology) An ancestral form of a species.
- (figuratively) A predecessor of something, especially if also a precursor or model.
- ARPANET was the progenitor of the Internet.
- Are neural progenitor cells infected by Zika virus?
- (figuratively) Someone who originates something.
- A founder.
Derived terms
- legendary progenitor
Related terms
- progeny
Translations
any of a person's direct ancestors
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an individual from which (a) people(s) descend
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an ancestral form of a species
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a predecessor of something
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someone who originates something
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founder — see founder
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Further reading
- progenitor on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
- troopering
Latin
Etymology
From pro- + genitor.
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /proːˈɡe.ni.tor/, [proːˈɡɛnɪt̪ɔr]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /proˈd͡ʒe.ni.tor/, [proˈd͡ʒɛːnit̪or]
Noun
prōgenitor m (genitive prōgenitōris); third declension
- (rare) ancestor, progenitor
Declension
Third-declension noun.
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nominative | prōgenitor | prōgenitōrēs |
Genitive | prōgenitōris | prōgenitōrum |
Dative | prōgenitōrī | prōgenitōribus |
Accusative | prōgenitōrem | prōgenitōrēs |
Ablative | prōgenitōre | prōgenitōribus |
Vocative | prōgenitor | prōgenitōrēs |
Coordinate terms
- prōgenitrīx
Descendants
- Catalan: progenitor
- French: progéniteur
- Galician: proxenitor
- Italian: progenitore
- Portuguese: progenitor
- Spanish: progenitor
References
- “progenitor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “progenitor”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- progenitor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
Portuguese
Etymology
From Latin prōgenitor.
Noun
progenitor m (plural progenitores, feminine progenitora, feminine plural progenitoras)
- progenitor (any of a person’s direct ancestors)
- (figuratively) progenitor (a predecessor of something)
Further reading
- “progenitor” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.
Spanish
Etymology
From Latin prōgenitor.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pɾoxeniˈtoɾ/ [pɾo.xe.niˈt̪oɾ]
- Rhymes: -oɾ
- Syllabification: pro‧ge‧ni‧tor
Noun
progenitor m (plural progenitores, feminine progenitora, feminine plural progenitoras)
- progenitor
Further reading
- “progenitor”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014