Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Early 20th century ·1920
Genome
gene chromosome
- Meaning
- The complete set of genetic material in an organism.
- Source words
- gene + chromosome
- Coined by
- Hans Winkler
- Year
- 1920
Background
The German botanist Winkler coined *Genom* (German) in his 1920 monograph *Verbreitung und Ursache der Parthenogenesis*. The English form *genome* followed immediately; the concept predates DNA discovery by three decades.
Early 20th century
Industrialisation generated new things that needed new names, fast. Motoring, electricity, telecommunications, and urban pollution all produced portmanteaus within a generation of their arrival.
Two words, one coinage.
Browse every portmanteau on the shelf — or cross over to the loanwords atlas.