Ancestor
Ancestor
Ancestor (/ˈænˌsɛstər/), from the Latin word antecessor, meaning "forebear", is a term used in various fields of study, including biology, genealogy, and anthropology, to denote an individual from whom one is descended.
Definition
In biology, an ancestor is an organism from which a group of descendants are derived. In genealogy and family history, an ancestor is a person from whom one is descended, typically more remote than a grandparent. In anthropology, the term is used to refer to early human or hominid species from which modern humans are believed to have descended.
Related Terms
- Descendant: A person, plant, or animal that is descended from a particular ancestor.
- Progenitor: A direct ancestor, especially the founder of a family or line.
- Forebear: An ancestor, a person from whom one is descended.
- Lineage: Direct descent from an ancestor; ancestry or pedigree.
- Heritage: Something that is handed down from the past, as a tradition, a national heritage, or a biological inheritance from one's ancestors.
Etymology
The term "ancestor" comes from the Latin antecessor, which means "one who goes before". It is derived from ante-, meaning "before", and -cessor, from cedere, meaning "to go".
Pronunciation
The term "ancestor" is pronounced as /ˈænˌsɛstər/.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Ancestor
- Wikipedia's article - Ancestor
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski