erblicher

Erblicher is the inflected form of the German adjective erblich, meaning hereditary or inheritable. It is used attributively to describe traits, conditions, or characteristics that may be transmitted from parents to offspring. For example, man sagt: eine erbliche Eigenschaft, ein erblicher Zustand oder eine erbliche Krankheit. The exact ending depends on case and article: with a definite article one says der erbliche Zustand, die erbliche Eigenschaft, while with an indefinite article one says ein erblicher Zustand, eine erbliche Eigenschaft. In scientific and medical language erblicher is commonly used alongside synonyms such as vererblich or genetisch bedingt. Erbliche Merkmale und erbliche Erkrankungen refer to inherited traits and diseases, which often follow Mendelian patterns (autosomal dominant or autosomal rezessiv) but can also involve more complex inheritance.

Etymology: erblich derives from Erbe, meaning inheritance; the form has been in use since the rise of modern biology to distinguish inherited from acquired traits. In contemporary usage, the noun Erblichkeit or Vererbbarkeit denotes the concept of heritability.

In legal and ethical contexts, discussions of Erblichkeit touch on privacy, genetic testing, and potential discrimination, as well as implications for family planning and medical decision-making. See also Vererbung, Erbkrankheit, Erblichkeit, Genetik.