Gen Y

The combining form –geny is used like a suffix meaning “origin.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology.

The form –geny comes from Greek –geneia, meaning “born” or “produced.” The Latin translation and cognate of –geneia is nātus, meaning “born,” which is the source of natal, native, and nature. Find out how these terms derive from nātus at our entry for each word.

What are variants of –geny?

While the form –geny doesn’t have any variants, it is related to the combining form –genic, as in hallucinogenic. The form –geny is also closely related to the combining forms –gen, –genous, –genesis, and –genetic, as in pathogen, heterogenous, biogenesis, and epigenetic. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for –gen, –genic, –genous, –genesis, and –genetic.

One example of a scientific term that features the form –geny is cytogeny, or cytogenesis, meaning “the origin and development of cells.”

The cyto– part of the word means “cell,” from Greek kýtos. The suffix –geny means “origin,” as we have seen. Cytogeny literally translates to “cell origin.”

What are some words that use the combining form –geny?

• homogeny (using the equivalent form of –geny in Greek)
• biogeny
• endogeny
• phylogeny
• lysogeny

What are some other forms that –geny may be commonly confused with?

• -gamy
• -gony
• -gyny

The combining form endo– means “within.” With this in mind, what does endogeny mean?