heterogamy
|het-er-o-ga-my|
/ˌhɛtərəˈɡəmi/
mating or pairing of different types
Etymology
'heterogamy' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'heterogamia', where 'hetero-' meant 'different' and 'gamos' meant 'marriage' or 'union'.
'heterogamia' was formed from Greek 'heteros' (meaning 'other, different') + 'gamos' (meaning 'marriage'). It passed into New Latin as 'heterogamia' and later became the modern English word 'heterogamy'.
Initially, it meant 'different marriage' or 'different pairing'; over time it has come to be used both for biological contexts (mating between dissimilar types/gametes) and social contexts (marriage between dissimilar individuals).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in biology, the condition or practice of mating or fusion between individuals (or gametes) of different forms or types; cross-fertilization between dissimilar sexes or gametes.
Heterogamy is common in many plant species where pollen from one morph fertilizes a different morph.
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Noun 2
in sociology and demography, the practice or occurrence of marriage between individuals who differ in social characteristics (e.g., class, ethnicity, religion) — the opposite of homogamy.
Studies on urbanization show rising heterogamy in marriage patterns, with more couples coming from different cultural backgrounds.
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Last updated: 2025/09/17 13:11