1944, apparently coined by Polish-born U.S. jurist Raphael Lemkin in his work "Axis Rule in Occupied Europe" [p.19], in reference to Nazi extermination of Jews, lit. "killing a tribe," from Gk.
genos "race, kind" (see
genus) +
-cide, from L.
-cidere "kill," comb. form of
caedere "to cut, kill" (see
concise). The proper formation would be
*genticide.