Simiidae
/sɪˈmiːɪdiː/noun
A zoological family name historically used for apes and, in some classifications, other anthropoid primates.
Did you know?The family-name ending “-idae” comes from the zoological convention established by John Edward Gray in the nineteenth century, while the base Simia is Latin for “ape.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
sīmós
“Snub-nosed; a term associated with a flattened or upturned nose”
Classical Latin
Latin
simius
“Ape or monkey; likely connected with the Greek description of a snub nose”
Classical Latin
Latin
simia
“A female ape, or ape in general; the source of the taxonomic name Simia”
1758
Scientific Latin
Simia
“A genus name used by Linnaeus for apes and monkeys”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Simiidae
“A zoological family name formed from Simia with the standard family suffix -idae”
Modern English
English
Simiidae
“A taxonomic name historically applied to apes and related anthropoid primates, with its exact membership varying by classification”