Which prefix means birth, kind, class?

• A. OB
• B. AM, AMOR
• C. GEN, GENER, GENIT
• D. PRE

Answer: (C)

Birth, origin, and the idea of belonging to a kind or class are all captured by the Latin root gen- and its variants gen- , gener- , genit-. This family of prefixes points to where something comes from and how it’s grouped. For example, generate means to bring forth or cause to exist (birth), genotype and genetic relate to origin or inheritance, and genus is a taxonomic category—a class or kind of organisms. The form genit- shows birth or origin more directly, as in genital, connected to birth and reproduction.

The other prefixes don’t carry that sense of origin or classification. OB- isn’t about birth as a concept on its own, AM- (or amor) is about love, and PRE- means before. So the GEN/GENER/GENIT group is the one that conveys birth, kind, and class.