Alcedinidae
/ˌæl.sɪˈdɪnɪdiː/noun
A taxonomic family comprising the kingfishers and closely related birds.
Did you know?The name is related to the ancient kingfisher term behind “halcyon,” whose myth inspired the phrase “halcyon days”—a magical period of calm weather.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀλκυών (alkyṓn)
“Kingfisher; in myth, the halcyon bird associated with calming the sea.”
Classical Latin
Latin
alcedō
“Kingfisher; a Latin form related to the Greek kingfisher name.”
18th Century
New Latin
Alcedo
“A taxonomic genus name for certain kingfishers, preserving the classical Latin term.”
19th Century
New Latin
Alcedinidae
“The family name formed from Alcedo with the zoological suffix -idae, meaning a family of related organisms.”
Modern English
English
Alcedinidae
“The recognized scientific family name for kingfishers and their close relatives.”
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