Anatidae
/ˌænəˈtaɪdiː/noun
The biological family of birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans.
Did you know?Anatidae is built from the Latin word anas, meaning “duck,” combined with the zoological family suffix -idae, which comes through scientific Latin from Ancient Greek.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Latin
Latin
anas
“Duck; the source of the family name”
Classical Latin
Latin
anatis
“Of or belonging to a duck; the genitive form of anas”
18th Century
Scientific Latin
Anas
“The genus name established for ducks in biological classification”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Anatidae
“The zoological family name formed from Anas with the family suffix -idae”
Modern English
English
Anatidae
“The family containing ducks, geese, swans, and related waterfowl”
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