Seminally
/ˈsɛmɪnəli/noun
In a way that is original, influential, or highly important in shaping later developments.
Did you know?Its root goes back to Latin *semen* (“seed”), which made “seminal” a metaphor for ideas that generate later growth long before it meant “important.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*seh₂-
“To sow, plant, or scatter seed.”
Latin
Latin
semen
“Seed; offspring; source of generation.”
Latin
Latin
seminālis
“Of or relating to seed or semen.”
Late Middle English
English
seminal
“Relating to seed or generation; later, influential in origin or development.”
Modern English
English
seminally
“In a seminal manner; in a way that is original and highly influential.”
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