ancestral

/anθesˈtɾal/ · B2 · adj

ancestral

🌳 ancestral = ancestor + -al, like 'ancestor-ish', from Latin antecessor 'one who goes before'

Spanish ancestral comes from ancestro, from Latin antecessor, 'one who goes before' (ante + cedere). Add the adjective ending -al and it describes whatever belongs to those who came before you, like ancestral lands or traditions.

More Spanish words · How Spanish works