only-begotten

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromμονογενής
2. Latin · calque ofūnigenitus
3. Middle English · inherited fromoonlybigeten
4. English todayonly-begotten

From Middle English oonlybigeten, equivalent to only + begotten. Compare also Middle English only geten, oonly geten (“only-begotten”, literally “only-gotten”) and Middle English onbygoten, oon be-gotyn, one bygeten, oon bigetun, oon bigeten (“only-begotten”, literally “one-begotten”). Calque of Latin ūnigenitus, itself a calque of Ancient Greek μονογενής (monogenḗs).

Words from the same roots