It means “killing a group of inter-related X”, where people naturally fills the X with “people”.
Killing a group of animals isn’t referred to as genocide.
Not usually. But it’s perfectly within the meaning of the term, and people could easily apply it to whales and primates if somebody decided to practice it.
More practically, it doesn’t apply to killing un-related people at random. It’s specifically applies to targeting people related through some characteristic.
geno- comes from the greek “genos” which means a group from common descent.
Why would it imply they are people?
Also xenocide would be killing a single xeno.
Because “genocide” means “killing a group of people.” Killing a group of animals isn’t referred to as genocide.
It means “killing a group of inter-related X”, where people naturally fills the X with “people”.
Not usually. But it’s perfectly within the meaning of the term, and people could easily apply it to whales and primates if somebody decided to practice it.
More practically, it doesn’t apply to killing un-related people at random. It’s specifically applies to targeting people related through some characteristic.
I think non human genocides are typically referred to as exterminations
Because they thought it comes from Latin “gens”, which means people.
common misunderstanding of etymology, usage generally informs word meaning before roots do.
same way that “homophobia” is only adjacently related to fear.