Lineal
/ˈlɪn.i.əl/noun
Relating to direct descent in a family line or arranged in a line.
Did you know?In legal and genealogical English, *lineal* became the word for descent that moves straight from ancestor to descendant, turning a simple “line” into a concept of inherited authority.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lī-
“to bind, tie, or thread”
Latin
Latin
linea
“linen thread; string; line”
Late Latin
Latin
linealis
“of or pertaining to a line”
Middle English
English
lineal
“pertaining to a line or descent”
Modern English
English
lineal
“directly descended in a family line; arranged in a line”