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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

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English

family

/ˈfæm(ɪ)li/
A group of people who are closely related to one another (by blood, marriage or adoption); kin; in particular, a set of parents and their children; an immediate family.

    Etymology graph

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    • borrowed
    • derived
    • parts
    • meaning component
    • sound component
    • related
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    Origin

    From Late Middle English famylye, from Latin familia (“a household”). Displaced native Old English hīred and hād. Doublet of familia.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • rootProto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁- “to do, put, place, set”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishfamylye
      • derivedLatinfamilia “family”
        • derived (ultimately)Proto-Indo-European*dʰh₁-m-eló-
        • derivedFrench-al
          • inheritedMiddle French-al
          • derivedLatin-ālis “-al”
    • derivedEnglishfamiliarization “The act, process or result of familiarizing.”
      • partEnglishfamiliar “Known to one, or generally known; commonplace.”
        • inheritedMiddle Englishfamiliar,familier
      • partEnglishfamiliarize “To make or become familiar with something or someone.”
        • partEnglish-ize “to make what is denoted by the noun/adjective”
      • suffixEnglish-ization “Forms nouns denoting the act, process, or result of doing/making what is denoted by the noun/adject…”
      • suffixEnglish-ation “An action or process.”
        • inheritedMiddle English-acioun

    Related: English familia (doublet)

    Meanings

    noun
    1. A group of people who are closely related to one another (by blood, marriage or adoption); kin; in particular, a set of parents and their children; an immediate family.
    2. A group of related animals, usually a mother and offspring, a mating pair or larger lineages in some species.
    3. An extended family: a group of people who are related to one another by blood or marriage.
    4. A nuclear family: a mother and father who are married and cohabiting and their child or children.
    5. Members of one's family collectively.
    6. A (close-knit) group of people related by blood, friendship, marriage, law, or custom, especially if they live or work together.
    adj
    1. Suitable for children and adults.
    2. Homosexual.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: family