1. a person's family or ethnic background, especially considered over a long period of time
一個人的家族或種族背景，尤指長時間的傳承
She is proud of her Irish ancestry.
她為自己的愛爾蘭血統感到自豪。
The DNA test revealed his mixed ancestry.
DNA檢測揭示了他混雜的祖先來源。
Ancestry Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
ancestry
noun
快速理解
What does "Ancestry" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Ancestry"?
指一個人的家族血統、世系或祖先的來源。
- 1
血統與世系
EN: One's family or ethnic descent and lineage.
翻譯: 指一個人的家族或民族血統與世系。
- 2
祖先起源
EN: The origin or background of one's ancestors.
翻譯: 指祖先的來源或背景。
- 3
生物遺傳系譜
EN: The evolutionary or genetic lineage of an organism.
翻譯: 指生物在演化或遺傳上的系譜。
- 4
事物發展淵源
EN: The historical origin or pedigree of something, such as an idea or institution.
翻譯: 指某事物（如觀念、制度）的歷史起源或發展譜系。
小提醒：注意：'Ancestry' 是不可數名詞，通常不用複數形式。談論多個人的血統時，會說 'their ancestry' 而非 'ancestries'。
發音（How to Pronounce "Ancestry" in English）
How to pronounce "Ancestry" in English?"Ancestry" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Ancestry" from YouTube Videos
Ellen Jorgensen: Biohacking -- you can do it, too
TED
“In a biohacker space, you can analyze your genome for mutations. You can analyze your breakfast cereal for GMO's and you can explore your ancestry.”
(1 out of 3)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Ancestry"?How does "Ancestry" change by context?
2. the origin or background of something, especially when regarded as prestigious or influential
某事物的起源或背景，尤指被視為有聲望或有影響力的
The company traces its ancestry back to a small workshop in the 19th century.
這家公司將其淵源追溯至19世紀的一個小作坊。
This philosophical idea has a long intellectual ancestry.
這個哲學思想有著悠久的知識淵源。
3. all the people from whom one is descended; ancestors collectively
一個人的所有祖先；祖先的總稱
He is researching his ancestry to build a family tree.
他正在研究他的祖先以建立家譜。
Her ancestry includes several notable historical figures.
她的祖先中包括好幾位著名的歷史人物。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Ancestry"?How to make natural sentences with "Ancestry"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ancestry + of + [place/people] | 某地/某人的祖先 | The ancestry of the islanders is a mix of Polynesian and European. (這些島民的祖先混合了波利尼西亞人和歐洲人。) |
| trace + one's + ancestry + to + [place/people] | 追溯某人的祖先到某地/某人 | She can trace her ancestry to a small village in Scotland. (她能將自己的祖先追溯到蘇格蘭的一個小村莊。) |
| have + [adjective] + ancestry | 擁有某種血統 | He has mixed ancestry, with roots in three different continents. (他擁有混合血統，根源來自三個不同的大洲。) |
| research/investigate + one's + ancestry | 研究/調查某人的祖先 | Many people use DNA tests to research their ancestry. (許多人使用DNA測試來研究他們的祖先。) |
| ancestry + [verb] (e.g., reveals, shows, dates back) | 祖先血統（揭示、顯示、可追溯至） | His ancestry reveals a long line of scholars and artists. (他的祖先血統揭示了一脈相承的學者和藝術家。) |
用法說明
How is "Ancestry" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Ancestry"?
ancestry 與 ancestry in
- ancestry 單獨使用時，通常指一個人的「血統、世系」這個抽象概念或整體背景。
- ancestry in 則用於指出具體的「血統來源地」或「祖先所屬的特定群體或地區」。
- 當要強調祖先來自哪個具體國家、地區或民族時，通常會使用
ancestry in的結構。 - 在談論 DNA 測試或人口統計數據時，
ancestry in常用來分類不同的地理或族群來源。 EN: She is proud of her Irish ancestry. 翻譯: 她為自己的愛爾蘭血統感到自豪。
EN:The study focused on people with ancestry in Southeast Asia.
翻譯:這項研究聚焦於祖先來自東南亞地區的人。
EN:His ancestry is a mix of several European cultures.
翻譯:他的血統融合了數種歐洲文化。
EN:Many Americans claim ancestry in Germany.
翻譯:許多美國人聲稱祖籍是德國。
總結建議
一般描述血統背景用 ancestry，指明具體的祖源地區則用 ancestry in。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Ancestry" and similar words?How to choose "Ancestry" vs alternatives?
ancestry vs descent
「ancestry」強調祖先的整體來源與血統背景，而「descent」則側重從特定祖先或群體傳承下來的血脈或世系。
ancestry vs lineage
「ancestry」泛指祖先的整體背景，而「lineage」則指從一個共同祖先延續下來的直系家族世系，更具體且有紀錄可循。
ancestry vs heritage
「ancestry」主要指血緣上的祖先與遺傳背景，而「heritage」則涵蓋從祖先繼承下來的文化、傳統、語言等更廣泛的遺產。
口語用法
How is "Ancestry" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Ancestry"?
引述
在對話中，當引述或轉述他人關於家族背景的談話時，常會用到這個詞。 EN: She was telling me about her ancestry, and it turns out we're from the same region. 翻譯: 她當時在跟我講她的祖先世系，結果發現我們來自同一個地區。
EN:He mentioned his ancestry in passing, but didn't go into detail.
翻譯:他順口提了一下他的祖源，但沒有詳細說明。
語氣強調
用來強調家族歷史的深度、獨特性或重要性，語氣通常帶有自豪或驚嘆。 EN: I'm really proud of my ancestry—it's a story of resilience. 翻譯: 我對我的血統感到非常自豪——這是一個關於韌性的故事。
EN:With that kind of ancestry, no wonder she has such a strong connection to the culture.
翻譯:有那樣的家世淵源，難怪她對那種文化有如此深厚的連結。
停頓填充
在組織思緒或尋找合適詞語時，有時會用這個詞作為短暫的停頓填充，引出後續更深入的解釋。 EN: So, my ancestry... well, it's actually quite mixed and hard to summarize. 翻譯: 所以，我的祖籍... 嗯，其實相當混雜，很難一言以蔽之。
EN:Thinking about my ancestry... it makes me curious to visit those places one day.
翻譯:想到我的家族淵源... 這讓我很想有一天去那些地方看看。
正式書寫注意：在正式或學術寫作中（如論文、報告），應使用更精確的術語如「lineage」、「genealogy」或「descent」，並提供具體細節。口語中較籠統的「ancestry」在正式文體中可能顯得不夠嚴謹。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Ancestry"?What fixed phrases with "Ancestry" should I remember?
trace one's ancestry
verb + one's + ancestry
追溯某人的祖先/世系
mixed ancestry
adjective + ancestry
混合的祖先血統/世系
proud of one's ancestry
adjective + of + one's + ancestry
以某人的祖先/血統為榮
ancestry DNA test
ancestry + noun phrase
祖先DNA測試
ancestry research
ancestry + noun
祖先研究/族譜研究
common ancestry
adjective + ancestry
共同的祖先/起源
ancestry and heritage
ancestry + and + related noun
祖先與傳統/血統與文化遺產
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Ancestry"?Which "Ancestry" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×My ancestry is from Ireland.
✓My ancestry is Irish. / I have Irish ancestry. / My ancestors are from Ireland.
Ancestry is a concept (e.g., Irish, Chinese, mixed), not a place. It is incorrect to say it "is from" a location. Use an adjective of origin or rephrase.
×I have many ancestries.
✓I have a mixed ancestry. / I have ancestry from many places. / I have many ancestral lines.
Ancestry is usually an uncountable noun referring to one's collective lineage. It is not typically pluralized when referring to one person's background.
×My ancestry is a doctor.
✓My ancestor was a doctor. / Someone in my ancestry was a doctor.
Ancestry refers to the collective origin or lineage, not to individual people. The word for an individual family member from the past is "ancestor".
×I did a test to know my ancestry.
✓I took a DNA test to learn about my ancestry. / I did genealogical research to trace my ancestry.
While understandable, "did a test to know" is not the most natural collocation. More common phrases are "took a DNA test" or "did genealogical research" paired with "to learn about/trace/find out about" one's ancestry.
×The ancestry of this word is Latin.
✓The etymology of this word is Latin. / This word is derived from Latin.
Ancestry is used for people and living things, not for words. The correct term for the origin and historical development of a word is "etymology".
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Ancestry"?What are tense/participle forms of "Ancestry"?