Pa-tĕr'ni-ty, n.

n. [Lat. paternitas, Fr. paternité, Pr. paternitat, Sp. paternidad, It. paternità. See supra.] The relation of a father to his offspring; fathership; fatherhood; hence, origination or authorship.

The world, while it had scarcity of people, underwent no other dominion than paternity and eldership. Raleigh.

The paternity of these novels was from time to time warmly disputed. W. Scott.