Etymology: < classical Latin genesis birth, nativity, horoscope, destiny, in post-classical Latin also book of Genesis (late 2nd or early 3rd cent. in Tertullian), origin, descent (from c1000 in British sources), (in mathematics) generation (1686 in a British source) < ancient Greek γένεσις origin, creation, generation, in Hellenistic Greek also book of Genesis, nativity, horoscope, (in mathematics) generation < the root of γίγνεσθαι to come into being, be born ( < the same Indo-European base as classical Latin gignere to beget: see genital adj.) + -σις -sis suffix. Compare Anglo-Norman and Middle French Genesis book of Genesis (beginning of the 13th cent. or earlier in Anglo-Norman; early 12th cent. in Anglo-Norman as Genesin, also as Genesim, Genesime, in these forms after the Latin accusative singular; also Genesi, Genesie (13th cent. or earlier)), Middle French, French genèse (with capital initial) book of Genesis (15th cent.), (in mathematics) generation (1660), origin or mode of formation of a thing (19th cent.), Middle French genesie, French génésie nativity (1499), origin or mode of formation of a thing (1611 in Cotgrave with reference to the origin of living beings, early 19th cent. in medical contexts). Compare also Catalan gènesi (14th cent.), Spanish génesis (late 13th cent.), Portuguese gênese (14th cent. as genesi, genesis), Italian genesi (a1313), all earliest in sense ‘book of Genesis’.In β. forms (which occur only in sense 1) probably partly after the Latin ablative singular, and partly after Anglo-Norman Genesi, Genesie.