Table of Contents
Definition of Lineage
(noun) A group of people who share a common descent.
Example of Lineage
Lineage Pronunciation
Syllabification: lin·e·age
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English - /lIn-ee-ij/
- British English - /lIn-iij/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English - /ˈlɪniəʤ/
- British English - /ˈlɪnɪɪdʒ/
Usage Notes
- Plural: lineages
- The basis of a lineage can be ambilineal, bilateral, matrilineal, nonunilineal, patrilineal, or unilineal.
- A genealogist studies lineages.
- Lineages are studied in descent theory, scholars in this field include Edward Evans “E. E.” Evans-Prichard (1902–1973), Meyer Fortes (1906–1983), and Alfred Radcliffe-Brown (1881–1955).
- Also called lineage group.
Related Video
Additional Information
- Family and Kinship Resources - Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Word origin of “lineage” - Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
Related Terms
- ambilineal descent
- bilateral descent
- bilineal descent
- generation
- extended family
- kinship
- marriage
- matrilineal descent
- nonunilineal descent
- patrilineal descent
- unilineal descent
Cite the Definition of Lineage
ASA - American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “lineage.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved September 17, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/lineage/).
APA - American Psychological Association (6th edition)
lineage. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/lineage/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date - Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “lineage.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/lineage/.
MLA - Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“lineage.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 17 Sep. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/lineage/>.