heritage

An inheritance; property that may be inherited.

Now unſpeakable happy are all thoſe that have ſuch an heritage: can we thinke they will part with it? No verily, […] they will not part with ſuch an inheritance as Chriſt is, rich, fat, alwayes fruitfull, and never decaying.

A tradition; a practice or set of values that is passed down from preceding generations through families or through institutional memory.

In fact it was a multifarious agglomerate of many little countries, gathered by marriage, heritage and luck, in the course of centuries, and now united in the hand of this Duke Wilhelm.

The first is that learning, continuous learning, is an intrinsic part of the American tradition. In some ways it constitutes the core of our social heritage, and no doubt accounts for the tremendous organizational and productive achievements which have taken place in this country. However, it is possible to move away from, even to lose one's heritage.

A birthright; the status acquired by birth, especially of but not exclusive to the firstborn.

Having a certain background, such as growing up with a second language.

a heritage speaker; a heritage language

The university requires heritage Spanish students to enroll in a specially designed Spanish program not available to non-heritage students.

A surname.