Vespine
/ˈvɛspɪn/noun
Relating to wasps, especially wasps of the subfamily Vespinae.
Did you know?The scientific name Vespidae ultimately comes from Latin vespa, “wasp,” while Vespa—the Italian scooter brand—was named for its wasp-like shape and buzzing sound.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wopsā
“A reconstructed word for wasp or stinging insect.”
Classical Latin
Latin
vespa
“Wasp; a stinging winged insect.”
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*wafsō
“Wasp, the Germanic cognate of Latin vespa.”
Old English
Old English
wæfs / wæps
“Wasp.”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Vespinae
“A taxonomic subfamily name for social wasps, formed from Latin vespa.”
Modern English
English
vespine
“Relating to wasps or the vespine wasp group.”