Monogenesis
Noun
- Origin of diverse individuals or kinds (as of language) by descent from a single ancestral individual or kind.
Example Sentences
“The documentary leaned heavily on monogenesis to explain shared myths across continents.”
“She argued monogenesis ignores how differently societies evolve over time.”
“In class, we debated monogenesis versus multiple independent origins of language.”
Word Origin
Latin, mid-19th century
Why this word?
Monogenesis is a complex topic to dissect, but the basic definition is clear from its parts. “Mono-” means “one, single, alone,” and “genesis” means “the origin or coming into being of something.” As such, “monogenesis” is the theory that all individuals descend from a single ancestral line. The Christian belief that all people come from Adam and Eve is an example of monogenesis. The word can also be used in a linguistic context, with monogenesis as a theory that all languages can be traced back to a single source.
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