Coined 1920 by Hans Winkler, blending 'gene' + '-ome' (from chromosome) — literally 'the gene-body,' from PIE *ǵenh₁- (to beget).
The complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism.
Coined in 1920 by the German botanist Hans Winkler as a blend of gene (from Greek genos, γένος, birth, race, kind, from PIE *ǵenh₁-, to beget) and the suffix -ome, extracted from chromosome. Greek genos derives from PIE *ǵenh₁- (to beget, to produce), the same root that gives generate, genesis, and generous. The -ome suffix comes from Greek -ōma, denoting a body or collection
'Genome' was modeled on 'chromosome' — gene + -ome (body). And 'gene' comes from Greek 'genos' (birth), from PIE *ǵenh₁- (to beget), which also gave us 'genesis,' 'genius,' 'generous,' 'gentle,' 'genuine,' 'kin,' 'king,' 'kind,' 'nature,' and 'nation.' The root that means 'to give birth' generated one of the largest word families in any language — it is itself enormously generative.