Primogenitor
/ˌpraɪ.məʊˈdʒɛn.ɪ.tər/noun
An ancestor in the direct line; a forebear, especially the first in a family line.
Did you know?Primogenitor comes from Latin roots meaning “first” and “begetter,” and it survives as a rare, elevated word for the original ancestor behind a lineage.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
prīmus + gignere
““first” + “to beget, bring forth””
Late Latin
Latin
prīmogenitor
“a first begetter; ancestor”
Middle English
English
primogenitour
“a forefather, progenitor”
Modern English
English
primogenitor
“a direct ancestor; forebear”