Hominidae
/ˌhɒmɪˈnɪdiː/noun
The zoological family comprising humans and the great apes, including orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans.
Did you know?Latin homo, the root of Hominidae, is traditionally connected with humus, meaning “earth” or “soil,” suggesting the ancient concept of humans as earth-born beings.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰǵʰem-
“Earth or ground; a proposed ancestral root associated with human beings as earth-dwellers.”
Proto-Italic
Proto-Italic
*hemō
“Human being or person; the developing ancestor of Latin homo.”
Classical Latin
Latin
homō, hominis
“Human being, person, or mankind.”
18th Century
Scientific Latin
Homo
“The genus containing modern humans and closely related human species, formalized in biological classification.”
1825
Scientific Latin
Hominidae
“A zoological family name formed from Homin- with the family suffix -idae.”
Modern English
English
Hominidae
“The family of humans and great apes.”