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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

parentage en · NOUN

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French parentage.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) The identity and nature of one's parents, and in particular, the legitimacy of one's birth.
    • Annabel was, like the writer, of mixed parentage: half-English, half-Dutch, in her case. I remember her features far less distinctly today than I did a few years ago, before I knew Lolita. 1955, Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, published August 1958, →OCLC:
    • I am a Lord, for so my deedes ſhall prooue, And yet a ſhepheard by my Parentage: […] c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:
    • English gentlemen, after all, do not discriminate against each other on the grounds of parentage, only of breeding. 1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy:
  2. (countable, uncountable) The social quality of one's class in society.
    • Mr. Worthington. Second son. We shall find better. He is of dubious parentage. 2020 December 25, Chris Van Dusen, “Diamond of the First Water”, in Bridgerton, season 1, episode 1, spoken by Anthony Bridgerton:
    • My fortunes parentage — good parentage — To equal mine! — was it not thus? What say you? c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and Thomas Creede] for Henry Gosson, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
  3. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Origin; derivation.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
parentages Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

mixed parentage

Relateds

parentdom · parentship

Translations (9)

bg бащинство (identity of one's parents) · fr parenté (identity of one's parents) · ro descendență (identity of one's parents) · ro părinți (identity of one's parents) · es parentela (identity of one's parents) · pl ród (identity of one's parents) · ru происхождение (identity of one's parents) · pl pochodzenie (identity of one's parents) · bg майчинство (identity of one's parents)