"pertaining to ancestors," 1520s, from Old French ancestrel (Anglo-French auncestrel) "ancestral," from ancestre (see ancestor). Alternative form ancestorial is from 1650s. Related: Ancestrally.
Entries linking to ancestral
ancestor n.
"one from whom a person is descended," c. 1300, ancestre, antecessour, from Old French ancestre, ancessor "ancestor, forebear, forefather" (12c., Modern French ancêtre), from Late Latin antecessor "predecessor," literally "fore-goer," agent noun from past-participle stem of Latin antecedere "to precede," from ante "before" (from PIE root *ant- "front, forehead," with derivatives meaning "in front of, before") + cedere "to go" (from PIE root *ked- "to go, yield"). The current form is from early 15c. Feminine form ancestress is recorded from 1570s.