The Latin roots of the word 'miscegenation'

'Miscegenation' is a word borrowed from Latin 'miscēre'. The word entered the English language some time around 1863.

miscegenation [noun] [1863]

• a mixture of races
• marriage, cohabitation, or sexual intercourse between a white person and a member of another race

Meaning: a mixture of races; marriage; cohabitation; or sexual intercourse between a white person and a member of another race.

Etymology: irregular from Latin miscere to mix + genus race mix; kin.

Topics: Society:Culture.

Origin: From Latin to English.

note: Coined in 1864 in the United States by journalist David Goodman Croly. Etymology: A hybrid word formed from two Latin roots - miscēre: to mix (from PIE root *meik-) and genus: race/kind/descent (from PIE root *gene-). Context: miscegenation first appeared in an anonymous pro-abolitionist pamphlet designed to stir up controversy during the 1864 U.S. presidential election intended to replace the older term amalgamation.

See 'miscegenation' on the Loan Words Map

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