Why are generics called generics?

Question

At the risk of becoming the village idiot, can someone explain to me why generics are called generics? I understand their usage and benefits, but if the definition of generic i

Answer 1

If they called it "type parameter(s)" people would confuse it with parameters of type Type.

Also, ArrayList isn't "generic". It ONLY works with types of object. If you ask it for something, it will give you an object reference. That's a very specific behavior.