Generatio

Generatio is a Latin noun meaning generation, birth, or origin. It derives from the Latin root related to begetting and is the source of the English word generation. In classical Latin, generatio could refer to the process by which beings come into being, a lineage of descent, or the origin of things in a broader metaphysical sense.

In philosophy and theology, the term appears in discussions of origin and production. In Christian theology, eternal generation is used to describe the relationship within the Trinity, especially the Son’s generation from the Father. In other philosophical contexts, generatio signaled how beings come into existence or how causes lead to effects.

In the history of science, generatio occurs in phrases such as generatio spontanea (spontaneous generation), a view now discredited by modern biology, which holds that life arises only from preexisting life. The term also appears in Latin translations and commentaries on natural history and embryology, where scholars described processes of growth, development, and reproduction using Latin terminology.

Contemporary use: Generatio is principally encountered in linguistic, philological, or historical contexts, for example in studies of Latin texts or in discussions of the concept of generation in philosophy and theology. In everyday English, the modern term is generation, and generatio is typically encountered only in quoted Latin passages or in scholarly works about Latin language and history.