Echidnid
/ɪˈkɪd.nɪd/noun
Relating to echidnas or the biological family Tachyglossidae.
Did you know?Echidna in Greek mythology was described as the mother of monsters, while the animal’s name was chosen because early naturalists thought its mixed traits were equally strange and hybrid-like.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁eǵʰis
“Snake or serpent”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἔχιδνα (ék hidna)
“Viper; later the serpent-bodied monster Echidna”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἔχιδνα (ékhidna)
“Echidna, the mythological female serpent and mother of monsters”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Echidna
“A genus name for the spiny, egg-laying mammal”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Echidnidae
“The zoological family containing echidnas”
Modern English
English
echidnid
“Relating to an echidna or its family”