-gony

1. a combining form meaning “production,” “genesis,” “origination,” used in the formation of compound words:

   theogony; cosmogony.

-gony

combining form

1. genesis, origin, or production

   cosmogony

Word History and Origins

Origin of -gony¹

< Latin -gonia < Greek -goneia, equivalent to gón ( os ) ( gon- ) + -eia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of -gony¹

from Latin -gonia, from Greek, -goneia, from gonos seed, procreation

Example Sentences

"We want to use technology to turn taxi services, working with other public transportation services, into the alternative to the private car they can be," said Gony Noy, general manager of Uber Israel.

From Reuters

Ames police spokesman Geoff Huff said Tuesday investigators no longer believe 21-year-old Gony Bijiek and 20-year-old Ngong Garang were involved in the Oct.

From Washington Times

Ames police spokesman Geoff Huff said Tuesday investigators no longer believe 21-year-old Gony Bijiek and 20-year-old Ngong Garang were involved in the Oct.

From Seattle Times

Narine gets hammered to the boundary for six by Manpreet Gony.

From The Guardian

Simon Tut Gony in Bor South Sudan will be a democratic country, foreign investors will be allowed to build for the local population, our diasporas will bring the knowledge that they have gained from everywhere around the world and deliver it to the people here in South Sudan.

From BBC

Words That Use -gony

What does -gony mean?

The combining form -gony is used like a suffix meaning “production,” “genesis,” or “origination.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.

The form -gony ultimately comes from Greek gónos, meaning “seed, generation.”

Examples of -gony

An example of a scientific term that features the form -gony is heterogony, “the alternation of dioecious and hermaphroditic individuals in successive generations, as in certain nematodes.” If that sounds overly technical, breaking down the word will give a clearer understanding of the meaning.

The form hetero- might look familiar; it means “different” or “other,” from Greek héteros. The form -gony means “production” or “origination,” as we have seen. Heterogony literally translates to “different productions.”

What are some words that use the combining form -gony?

• cosmogony (using the equivalent form of -gony in Greek)
• merogony
• schizogony
• sporogony
• telegony

What are some other forms that -gony may be commonly confused with?

• -gamy
• -gon
• -gonium

Not every word that ends with the exact letters -gony, such as jargony or agony, is necessarily using the combining form -gony to denote “production.” Learn why agony means “pain” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The combining form cosmo- means “universe.” With this in mind, what does cosmogony literally mean?