Felidae
/ˈfiːlɪdiː/noun
The biological family of cats, including lions, tigers, domestic cats, and their relatives.
Did you know?Felidae is a modern scientific Latin family name built from Latin felis, the cat, which may ultimately be connected to an old Indo-European root meaning “to suck” or “to nurse,” reflecting the kitten’s dependence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeh₁-
“A proposed root sometimes linked by scholars to the idea of suckling or nursing, though the deeper prehistory of Latin felis remains uncertain.”
Latin
Latin
fēlēs
“A cat.”
Late Latin
Latin
fēlīnus
“Of or belonging to a cat.”
18th-19th Century
New Latin
Felidae
“The zoological family name for the cat family.”
Modern English
English
felidae
“The family of cats in biological classification.”