stemma

noun stem·ma \ˈste-mə\

plural stem·ma·ta \-mə-tə\

Definition of STEMMA

: a simple eye present in some insects

: a scroll (as among the ancient Romans) containing a genealogical list

: a tree showing the relationships of the manuscripts of a literary work

— stem·mat·ic \ste-ˈma-tik, stə-\ adjective

Latin, wreath, pedigree (from the wreaths placed on ancestral images), from Greek, wreath, from stephein to crown, enwreathe

First Known Use: 1826

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