Begets

/bɪˈɡɛts/ verb

Definition

Causes something to exist or happen; produces or creates, especially used in the phrase 'one thing begets another.'

Etymology

From Old English 'begettan,' combining 'be-' (causative prefix) with 'gettan' (to get or obtain). Originally meant to father a child, but evolved to mean causation more broadly.

Kelly Says

This word is famous from the Bible's genealogies ('Abraham beget Isaac'), but it's actually brilliant for describing how one idea leads to another in a chain reaction—like how the invention of the camera eventually begot the movie industry.

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