Hybridisations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of combining different elements or varieties, resulting in a new form that inherits characteristics from both
2. The act of mixing distinct genetic strains or species to produce a hybrid organism or material that exhibits traits of each
3. A method of crossbreeding or synthesizing diverse components to create a novel and unique outcome with shared attributes

Etymology: Hybridisations is the plural of hybridisation, so the story belongs to the noun itself, and the core is a simple compound: "hybrid" with the suffix "-isation." The "hybrid" half is the older element. It traces back to Latin "hybrida" and Greek "hybris," used for the offspring of a tame sow and a wild boar, a crossing that was regarded as unnatural. The suffix does most of the work in the noun. "-ise" came into English through Middle French from Late Latin "-izare," which in turn was borrowed from Greek verbs ending in "-izein," and "-ation" passed through Old French from Latin "-atio." Put together, "-isation" turns a verb meaning to make something into an action or process. So a hybridisation is the process of making something hybrid, which is why the word fits the mixing of distinct strains or species.