VOA名师答疑2023--Descent vs. Ancestry

Descent vs. Ancestry¹

Hi there! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "descent" and "ancestry."

Question:

Dear friends,

My name is Karim. I am 53 years old, and I am from Uzbekistan. I have been learning English on my own for 3 years. Although I cannot speak yet, I like learning English, reading books and listening to your podcasts.

I would like to ask about the difference between "descent" and "ancestry".

Thanks a lot for your help and support!

Karim

Answer:

Thank you for writing to us, Karim! Keep up the good work learning English with us.

This is a great question!

A few months ago, I wrote about "heritage" and "inheritance."

These words are related to Karim's question.

Let's start with "descent."

Descent

"Descent" is a noun that means a person's family, social status, ethnicity or origin. We usually use it with an adjective that describes a person's background.

She is of Irish descent.

Beau's family, of Cajun descent, is from the state of Louisiana.

Another noun, "descendant" is connected to "descent." It means a person in a family line that stretches from earlier generations to the present one.

The United States' fourth president, James Madison, had no direct descendants.

Both words come from the verb "descend³." To "descend" means to come from a family line or group.

There is a theory that birds descended⁴ from dinosaurs⁵.

"Descend" also means to go or come down from a higher place.

Let's move onto "ancestry."

Ancestry

"Ancestry" is a noun that also means a person's ethnic² origin or their family members from past to present.

For example, I am American because I was born in the United States, but my great-grandfather was from Italy.

I have Italian ancestry.

We can use the word "ancestry" as a synonym⁶, or a word that has the same meaning, for "descent."

A recent study has shown that many people of Puerto Rico still have Taíno ancestry.

Another noun we use is "ancestor." Your "ancestors" are the people from whom you descended.

In many religions and cultures, ancestors hold a special place and are honored in ceremonies.

Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Karim.

Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at [email protected].

And that's Ask a Teacher.

Words in This Story

podcast – n. digital audio programs

origin – n. the place where a person comes from; the beginning or starting point

1 ancestry   

n.祖先，家世

参考例句：

• Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
• He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

4 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

5 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 synonym   

n.同义词，换喻词

参考例句：

• Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.诸葛亮在民间传说中成了智慧的代名词。
• The term 'industrial democracy' is often used as a synonym for worker participation. “工业民主”这个词常被用作“工人参与”的同义词。