Alcidae
/ælˈsɪdiː/noun
A taxonomic family of seabirds that includes auks, puffins, murres, guillemots, and razorbills.
Did you know?The name ultimately traces to the Old Norse or Icelandic word for an auk, birds once associated with remote, stormy seas rather than magic or ritual.
Etymological Timeline
Old Norse/Icelandic
Old Norse
álka
“An auk, a northern seabird”
18th Century
Latin
alca
“A Latinized form used for the auk genus”
1758
New Latin
Alca
“The genus established by Carl Linnaeus for the razorbill”
1825
New Latin
Alcidae
“The zoological family name formed from Alca with the family suffix -idae”
Modern English
English
Alcidae
“The auk family, including puffins, murres, guillemots, and razorbills”