genuine

Where does the word "genuine" come from? It comes from Latin genuinus, and was adopted directly into English (1590s).

Genuine’s story begins in Latin: genuinus meant “natural, native, innate.” Natural, native, related to genu (knee), from an ancient custom of a father acknowledging a child on his knee. It reached English by 1590s as genuine. Settled as the English word for authentic and real. Today, genuine means authentic and real, not fake or counterfeit.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient genuinus "natural, native, innate", natural, native, related to genu (knee), from an ancient custom of a father acknowledging a child on his knee.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1590s genuine "authentic and real, not fake or counterfeit", settled as the English word for authentic and real.