Etymology Map
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Lineage

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means direct descent from an ancestor

Where does the word "lineage" come from? It comes from Latin linea, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
linea
Latin · ancient
"linen thread, line"
from 'linum', flax
2
Stage 2 of 3
lignage
Old French · medieval
"line of descent"
a line of ancestors
3
Stage 3 of 3
lineage
English · 1300s
"ancestry"
'lineage' in biology dates from the 1900s
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Read the full story

Lineage’s story begins in Latin: linea meant “linen thread, line.” From 'linum', flax. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as lignage. A line of ancestors. It reached English by 1300s as lineage. 'lineage' in biology dates from the 1900s. Today, lineage means direct descent from an ancestor.