Derivation - Definition

n 1: the source or origin from which something derives (i.e.
comes or issues); "he prefers shoes of Italian derivation";
"music of Turkish derivation"
2: (historical linguistics) an explanation of the historical
origins of a word or phrase [syn: deriving, derivation,
etymologizing]
3: a line of reasoning that shows how a conclusion follows
logically from accepted propositions
4: (descriptive linguistics) the process whereby new words are
formed from existing words or bases by affixation; "`singer'
from `sing' or `undo' from `do' are examples of derivations"
5: inherited properties shared with others of your bloodline
[syn: ancestry, lineage, derivation, filiation]
6: drawing of fluid or inflammation away from a diseased part of
the body
7: drawing off water from its main channel as for irrigation
8: the act of deriving something or obtaining something from a
source or origin