Paternity

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. The relation of a father to his child; fathership; fatherhood; family headship; as, the divine paternity. The world, while it had scarcity of people, underwent no other dominion than paternity and eldership. Sir W. Raleigh.

2. Derivation or descent from a father; male parentage; as, the paternity of a child.

3. Origin; authorship. The paternity of these novels was . . . disputed. Sir W. Scott.