Formicine
/ˈfɔːrmɪsɪn/noun
Relating to ants of the subfamily Formicinae.
Did you know?The taxonomic name Formicinae comes from Latin formīca, “ant,” while the related Greek ant-root appears in words such as myrmecology and the mythic Myrmidons.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*morwi-
“Reconstructed word for “ant,” the proposed ancestral source of several ancient ant-names.”
Classical Latin
Latin
formīca
“Ant.”
18th Century
New Latin
Formica
“A scientific genus name for ants, based directly on Latin formīca.”
19th Century
New Latin
Formicinae
“The ant subfamily name formed from Formica with the taxonomic suffix -inae.”
19th Century–Modern English
English
formicine
“Relating to Formicinae, especially ants belonging to that subfamily.”
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