First Known Use: 1826
Dictionary
stemma
noun stem·ma \ˈste-mə\
plural stem·ma·ta \-mə-tə\
Definition of STEMMA
1
: a simple eye present in some insects
2
: a scroll (as among the ancient Romans) containing a genealogical list
3
: a tree showing the relationships of the manuscripts of a literary work
— stem·mat·ic \ste-ˈma-tik, stə-\ adjective
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Origin of STEMMA
Latin, wreath, pedigree (from the wreaths placed on ancestral images), from Greek, wreath, from stephein to crown, enwreathe
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