Asaphus
/əˈsɑːfəs/noun
Asaphus is a genus of extinct trilobites that lived during the Ordovician Period.
Did you know?The genus name Asaphus comes from Ancient Greek ἀσαφής, meaning “unclear” or “indistinct,” formed with the negative prefix a- and saphēs, “clear.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
σαφής (saphēs)
“Clear, distinct, evident”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀσαφής (asaphēs)
“Unclear, indistinct, obscure”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Asaphus
“A taxonomic genus name derived from Greek asaphēs”
Ordovician Period
Paleontology
Asaphus
“A genus of extinct trilobites, known from Ordovician fossil deposits”
Modern English
English
Asaphus
“A recognized trilobite genus name”