This is from a lister on another list, interesting. ****************** As people interested in genealogy, I thought you would find this interesting. I didn't know this before I read the information below. The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for December 21, 2000 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- pedigree [n. PED-ih-gree] ------------------------------------------------------------------ In human genetics pedigree is used to trace the inheritance of specific traits. However, the word pedigree is most often used in the context of animals. It is a genealogical record that shows the purity or a breed. Example: "The breeder told us the horse's pedigree as part of his sales pitch." Pedigree is also your family tree, the line of ancestors that have preceded you. Near synonyms include lineage, breed, blood, and ancestry. Pedigree is a variation on the late Middle English word pedegru, which was derived from the similar sounding French phrase for foot of a crane (pie de grue). The three splayed out toes on the crane's foot were thought to be a good way to describe the appearance of the lines on a genealogical chart. <<<<< Bill