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Origin and history of procreation

procreation(n.)

late 14c., procreacioun, "process of begetting offspring, generation and production of young," from Old French procreacion (14c., Modern French prócreation) and directly from Latin procreationem (nominative procreatio) "a begetting, generation," noun of action from past-participle stem of procreare "bring forth" (offspring), "beget, generate, produce," from pro "forth" (see pro-) + creare "create" (from PIE root *ker- (2) "to grow"). Spelling with -t- in English begins mid-15c.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to procreation

procreant(adj.)

"fruitful, producing young, related to or connected with reproduction," 1580s, from Latin procreantem (nominative procreans), present participle of procreare "to beget" (see procreation). As a noun, "one who or that which procreates," from c. 1600.

procreator(n.)

"one who begets, a father or sire," 1540s, from French procreateur or directly from Latin procreator, from past-participle stem of procreare "to bring forth" offspring (see procreation). Fem. forms procreatrix, procreatress "a mother" are from 1590s.

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Trends of procreation

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

congenial
see con-) + genialis "of birth," thus, "kindred" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation...
congener
see con-) + gener-, stem of genus "race, kind" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation...
generous
," from genus (genitive generis) "race, stock" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation...
genial
tutelary deity of a married couple," from PIE *gen(e)-yo-, from root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation...
innate
"in") + nasci "to be born" (Old Latin gnasci), from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation...
generic
from Latin gener-, stem of genus "race, kind" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation...
genealogy
a pedigree," from genea "generation, descent" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation...
miscegenation
"interbreeding of races," applied originally and especially to sexual union between black and white individuals, 1863, coined irregularly by U.S. journalist David Goodman Croly from Latin miscere "to mix" (from PIE root *meik- "to mix") + genus "race," from PIE root *gene- "give
propagation
mid-15c., propagacioun, "the causing of plants or animals to reproduce; reproduction; act or fact of begetting or being begotten," from Old French propagacion "offshoot, offspring" (13c.) and directly from Latin propagationem (nominative propagatio) "a propagation, extension, enl
generation
early 14c., "body of individuals born about the same period" (historically 30 years but in other uses as few as 17), on the notion of "descendants at the same stage in the line of descent," from Old French generacion "race, people, species; progeny, offspring; act of procreating"

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