-inae
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See also: -inæ
Translingual[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- -inæ (obsolete)
Etymology[edit]
From Latin -īnae, feminine plural form of -īnus (“-ine”).
Suffix[edit]
-inae f pl
- (taxonomy) Used to form names of subfamilies of animals.
- (taxonomy) Used to form names of subtribes of plants, algae and fungi and viruses.
Usage notes[edit]
- All derivations featuring this suffix are pluralia tantum, but were formally understood as adjectives modifying the Latin feminine plural nouns bestiae (“beasts”) or plantae; e.g. Felinae (“cats”) = bestiae felinae (“feline beasts”).
- With the understanding that, for example, members of Fungi, Archaea, and Virus are neither beasts nor plants, the historical fiction has little contemporary relevance.
Derived terms[edit]
Latin[edit]
Suffix[edit]
-īnae