paternity

[Fr. paternité, from Lat. pater nitatem, acc. of pater nit as, from paternus =paternal; Sp. paternidad; Ital. paternità.] 1. The relation of a father to his children; fatherhood, fathership. "The world, while it had scarcity of people, underwent no other dominion than paternity and eldership."- Ral eigh . 2. Derivation or descent from a father; as, the paternity of a child. 3. Authorship, origin; as, the paternity of a book. "The paternity of these novels was from time to time warmly disputed."-Simmonds.