Etymology Map
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Genome

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means the complete set of genes in an organism

Where does the word "genome" come from? It comes from Greek genos, passing through German before entering English (1920s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
genos
Greek · ancient
"birth, kind"
birth, race, kind
2
Stage 2 of 3
Genom
German · 1920
"genome"
the botanist Hans Winkler blended 'Gen', gene, and 'Chromosom'
3
Stage 3 of 3
genome
English · 1920s
"full set of genes"
the Human Genome Project sequenced the human genome between 1990 and 2003
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Read the full story

Genome’s story begins in Greek: genos meant “birth, kind.” Birth, race, kind. By 1920, the word had taken hold in German as Genom. The botanist Hans Winkler blended 'Gen', gene, and 'Chromosom'. It reached English by 1920s as genome. The Human Genome Project sequenced the human genome between 1990 and 2003. Today, genome means the complete set of genes in an organism.