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

Because you are creating "Generic" code that will be capable of operating on any type (within constraints you specify) in the same way...

a good example you are familiar with is the Add operator is just about any language... it can "Add" integers, floats, doubles, decimals, binarys, hexadecimals, regardless of whether they are signed, unsogned, how many bits they are, etc...