Anser
/ˈæn.sər/noun
A taxonomic genus of geese, including the greylag and domestic goose.
Did you know?Linnaeus used Anser as a formal genus name in 1758, preserving an ancient Latin word inside modern biological classification.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵʰh₂éns-
“Goose; a reconstructed ancient name for the bird”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
haṃsá
“Goose or swan”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χήν (khēn)
“Goose”
Classical Latin
Latin
anser
“Goose”
1758
Scientific Latin
Anser
“A genus name for geese, established in Linnaeus’s modern taxonomic system”
Modern English
English
anser
“A zoological genus of geese”