das Geschlecht
Translation
gender, sex, generation, lineage
Examples
Bitte geben Sie Ihr Geschlecht an.
Please state your gender.
Er stammt aus altem Geschlecht.
He comes from an old lineage.
Grammar Patterns
the male/female gender The male and female genders are different.
to come from a ... lineage He comes from a noble lineage.
Similar Words
Synonyms: das Genus (grammatical gender), die Sippe (clan), die Generation (generation)
Etymology
From Old High German 'gislahti' (kind, lineage), related to 'schlagen' (to hit, strike). It originally meant 'kind' or 'sort'.
Memory Tips
Think of the core idea of 'type' or 'kind'. This applies to both the biological type (sex/gender) and the family type (lineage).