atavism etymology

Etymology:

• From Latin atavus "ancestor on the father's side," possibly from the Greek ἄταος (ataos) "extraordinary, strange."

Meaning:

• The reappearance of an ancestral trait in an offspring after several generations of absence.
• A feature or character that is inherited from a remote ancestor and has not been expressed in the intervening generations.

Origin:

The term "atavism" was first used in the early 19th century by the French zoologist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. He used it to describe the occasional appearance of animal features that resembled those of their ancestors, such as the presence of stripes in horses or dewclaws in dogs.

The word atavus originally referred to a paternal ancestor, and the term "atavism" was initially used to describe traits inherited from the father's side. However, its meaning has since been broadened to include any ancestral trait that reappears after an absence of several generations.

atavism relate terms

• uncle

  Etymology The word uncle comes from the Old French word oncle which in turn is deri

• atavic

  Etymology Latin atavus great grandfather Proto Indo European h₂ewos grandfat

• atavism

• atavistic

  Etymology The word atavistic is derived from the Latin word atavus which means ance

• atavism

• reversion

  Etymology and Origin of Reversion Origin Latin Etymology Reverto to turn back r

• mirage

  Etymology The word mirage comes from the Latin word mirari meaning to wonder at o

• rendezvous

  Etymology and Origin of Rendezvous French Rendez vous meaning to go back to a place

• vesper

  Etymology and Origin The word vesper comes from the Latin word vesper which means

• expose

  Etymology Expose comes from the Latin word exponere which means to set forth or to

• courage

  Etymology French courage Latin cor heart Proto Indo European ḱr̥d heart

• symbiosis

  Etymology The term symbiosis is derived from the Greek words syn meaning together

• exuberant

  Etymology Latin exuberant is from exuberare meaning to overflow to be abundant