genocide

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The systematic and deliberate destruction of a group of people; typically by killing substantial numbers of them, on the basis of their ethnicity, religion, nationality, or similar grounds.
  2. The systematic suppression of ideas or practices on the basis of cultural or ethnic origin; culturicide.
  3. The elimination of an entire class of monsters by the player in roguelikes.
verb
  1. To commit genocide (against); to eliminate (a group of people) completely.

Pronunciation

/ˈd͡ʒɛnəsaɪd/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-genocide.wav

Word forms

genocide genocides genociding genocided

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os Proto-Hellenic *génos Ancient Greek γένος (génos) Proto-Indo-European *kh₂eyd-der. Proto-Italic *kaidō Latin caedō Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂ Proto-Italic *-ā Latin -a Latin -cīda Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ium Latin -cīdiumder. Middle French -cidebor. English -cide English genocide From the stem of Ancient Greek γένος (génos, “race, kind”) (cognate with Latin gēns (“tribe, clan”), whence genus), corresponding to geno- + -cide (“killing”). Piecewise doublet of gendercide. Compare genticide. Coined by Polish Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin in 1943 or 1944 in reference to the Armenian Genocide (then known by other names; for more information, see Terminology of the Armenian genocide on Wikipedia), massacres of Assyrians (such as the Simele massacre and Seyfo) and the Jewish Holocaust.

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