To descend means to move or go downwards, either physically, in level, or in rank. It can also mean to come from an earlier generation or source.
From Latin "descendere" meaning "to climb down," formed from "de-" (down) and "scandere" (to climb). It entered English via Old French "descendre" in the Middle Ages.
The same root that gives us "descend" also shows up in "ascend"—they’re like opposite twins sharing the idea of climbing. When you say you "descend from" someone, you’re picturing your family tree as a literal staircase from past to present.
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