genea

Genea is a term of Greek origin meaning generation or lineage. In English, it appears primarily as a bound root in the word genealogy and its derivatives, and as a conceptual shorthand for generations in discussions of family history and lineage. The Greek noun genea is the source of the modern word genealogy through Latin and French adaptations.

In scholarly contexts, genea denotes a succession of generations within a family or lineage. Genealogy, the systematic study of such lineages, collects vital records, census data, and other sources to construct family trees and trace inherited traits, property, or social status across time. The term also appears in historical and anthropological writing to discuss kin networks, descent groups, and dynastic origins, including mythic or legendary lineages.

Although closely related to the broader concepts of birth and origin, genea is not commonly used in everyday language on its own; rather, it is encountered as part of longer terms or as a reference to multi-generational time spans. In genetics and biology, the related Greek roots gen- or gene- are more common, with genea as a source term for generations rather than for molecular genetics.

Modern usage sometimes appears in corporate or product names, or as a surname or toponym, but these uses are separate from the linguistic meaning tied to generation and lineage. Overall, genea remains primarily a scholarly root linked to the idea of generation and genealogical research.