herencia
/eˈɾenθja/ · B1 · noun · f
heredity
🧬📜 Cousin of heritage and heir: Latin heres = heir, + -encia = -ance
Spanish dropped the Latin h-sound but kept the spelling: herencia is what an heir (heredero) receives. It covers both senses, the estate left in a will and the traits passed on in your genes. Same root as English heredity and inherit.