autogenies
|au-to-ge-ni-es|
/ˌɔːtəˈdʒiːniz/
(autogeny)
self-generation; self-origin
Etymology
'autogeny' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'autogenēs', where 'auto-' meant 'self' and 'genēs' meant 'born' or 'produced'.
'autogenēs' passed into New/Modern Latin as 'autogenēs' or related formation and entered English scientific usage (as 'autogeny') in the 19th century; the modern plural form is 'autogenies'.
Initially it meant 'self-born' or 'born from oneself'; over time it evolved into the scientific/general sense of 'self-generation' or 'internal production' (for example, egg production in insects without an external nutrient source).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'autogeny'. In entomology/biology: the condition or ability of some female insects to produce or mature eggs without taking a blood meal (i.e., self-sustained egg production).
Some mosquito populations show autogenies, enabling females to lay eggs even without a blood meal.
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Noun 2
plural of 'autogeny'. More generally: processes of self-generation or internal development; phenomena produced from within rather than arising from an external source.
Historians discussed cultural autogenies—practices that arose internally within a society rather than being imported.
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Last updated: 2025/11/25 15:15