Re: Genealogy For The Beginner

In our last episode, <1eb6r313l78pk1r4n8l2b7bhq6r1m3l99p@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, the
lovely and talented Charlie Hoffpauir broadcast on
soc.genealogy.computing:

> Interesting comments, but in my view, Genealogy has to do with Genes,
> ie genetics, hence the attachment to "bloodlines".

This is completely false.  "Genealogy" has been an English word since the
14th century.  "Genes" and "genetics" are words that first occurred in the
20th century.  All three words have related roots, meaning things such as
"family," "tribe," and "nation," but but reckoning kin****p by biology was
clearly impossible in the 14th century, so "genealogy" could not have
meant
that.

We know that reckoning paternity by marriage to the mother is biologically
incorrect about 30% of the time, so if "genealogy" meant tracing
bloodlines,
clearly no one was doing genealogy until late in the 20th century.  There
are no DNA samples in old obituaries or on headstones or in birth or
marriage
records retrieved from dusty tomes in old courthouses.

It is high time to reject the racist notions that genealogy is somehow
genetic history.  It is not.  It never was.

>  If you want a term to describe the study of your family unit(s), use
> something other than "genealogy".... that term is already taken.

-- 
Lars Eighner <http://larseighner.com/>
usenet@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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