Patrilineal
/ˌpætrɪˈlɪniəl/noun
Relating to descent, inheritance, or family lineage traced through the father’s line.
Did you know?Patrilineal is a modern scholarly formation from Latin pater “father” plus linealis “of a line,” and its structure reflects how societies have long turned blood, property, and identity into a single inherited chain.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ph₂tḗr
“father”
Latin
Latin
pater
“father”
Latin
Latin
linea
“a linen thread, string, line”
Late Latin
Latin
linealis
“of a line; pertaining to a line of descent”
19th Century
English
patrilineal
“descent traced through the father’s line”
Modern English
English
patrilineal
“relating to descent or inheritance through the male line”