primogeniture
/ˌprʌɪmə(ʊ)ˈdʒɛnɪtʃə/
primogeniture means the state of being the firstborn of the children of the same parents. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 83 out of 100.
primogeniture is pronounced /ˌprʌɪmə(ʊ)ˈdʒɛnɪtʃə/.
Why “primogeniture” is a great word
PRIMOGENITURE — [Noun] The legal principle by which the firstborn child, traditionally the eldest son, inherits the entirety of an estate, office, or title. From Medieval Latin primogenitura, from Latin primus ("first") + genitura ("birth"), from genitus, past participle of gignere ("to beget"). First recorded in English c. 1600. Unlike ultimogeniture, which privileges the last-born, or progenitor, which names an originator, primogeniture is a rule of exclusion, codifying precedence into law. It is the heavy signet ring passed to one pair of waiting hands while others remain empty; the scent of old vellum in a deed that names only one son; the silent, centuries-old weight in the ledger that marks one son as asset and the rest as expenditure—a brittle order imposed upon the chaos of lineage, making an accident of time the cornerstone of an empire.
Etymology
From French, from Late Latin primogenitura, from Latin primus (“first”) + genitura (“birth”) (from genitus, past participle of gignere).
noun
- The state of being the firstborn of the children of the same parents.
- The principle that the eldest child has an exclusive right of inheritance.“On these grounds, I contend the mere possession of large property, which is all that primogeniture insures, is by no means a sufficient and unobjectionable qualification for a legislator.”
- An instance of such a right of inheritance, established by custom or law.“The King of Sardinia, by a decree of the 9th of Dec. has abolished—
1. The prohibition against the erection of primogenitures and feudal rights, enacted by the 9th section of the edict of the 29th of July 1797, or by any other law; restricting, however, to those primogenitures and majorats only which shall be erected in favour of persons[…].”