-inae

See also: -inæ

Translingual

Alternative forms

• -inæ (obsolete)

Etymology

From Latin -īnae, feminine plural form of -īnus (“-ine”).

Suffix

-inae f pl

1. (taxonomy) Used to form names of subfamilies of animals.
2. (taxonomy) Used to form names of subtribes of plants, algae and fungi and viruses.

Usage notes

• 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

Translingual terms suffixed with -inae

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Latin

Suffix

1. nominative feminine plural of -īnus
2. genitive feminine singular of -īnus
3. dative feminine singular of -īnus
4. vocative feminine plural of -īnus