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Added 9 October 2026

progenitor

/pɹəʊˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪ.tə/ noun

In Latin: prōgenitor Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about progenitor at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A forefather, any of a person's direct ancestors.
A person from whom one or more people (dynasty, tribe, nation…) are descended.
Abraham, alias Ibrahim, is the presumed progenitor of both the Jewish and Arab peoples.
An ancestral form of a species.

Origin

From Middle English progenitour, from Anglo-Norman progenitour, Middle French progeniteur (Modern French progéniteur), and their etymon Latin prōgenitor, from prōgenitus, perfect participle of prōgignere (“to beget”), itself from prō- (“forth”) + gignere (“to beget”). By surface analysis, pro- (“prior, fore-”) + genitor.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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