Pinaceae
/pɪˈneɪsi.iː/noun
A botanical family of coniferous trees and shrubs that includes pines, firs, spruces, cedars, larches, and hemlocks.
Did you know?The family name Pinaceae is built from Latin pinus, “pine,” a word possibly connected to an ancient Indo-European root associated with resinous trees or sticky sap.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pī-n-u-
“A reconstructed term associated with the pine or a resin-producing tree; the exact origin remains debated.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πίτυς (pítus)
“Pine tree; traditionally regarded as a possible ancient relative of Latin pinus.”
Classical Latin
Latin
pīnus
“Pine tree.”
18th Century
New Latin
Pinaceae
“The botanical family name formed from Pinus, the type genus, with the taxonomic suffix -aceae.”
Modern English
English
Pinaceae
“The pine family, containing many familiar conifers such as pines, firs, spruces, and cedars.”