-ulus

(taxonomy) used to form genus names, especially from other genus names, indicating smaller size


-a

Used to create genus names from proper nouns

Used to take the form of certain plural Latin-derived taxonomic names


-i

Used to form adjectives for the species descriptor of a scientific name.


-us

(taxonomy) Used to form taxonomic names.


-ophyta

From New Latin, from Ancient Greek φυτά (phutá), plural of φυτόν (phutón, “plant”), from φύω (phúō, “to bring forth, to produce, to put forth”).

(taxonomy) Used to form names of divisions or phyla of plants or algae


-mycota

From Ancient Greek μύκης (múkēs, “mushroom”) + -ota.

(taxonomy) Used to form names of divisions or phyla of fungi


-phytina

(taxonomy) Used to form names of subdivisions or subphyla of plants or algae.


-mycotina

From -mycota (“fungal division or phylum”) + -ina (“subordinate taxon”).

af

(taxonomy) Used to form names of subdivisions or subphyla of fungi.


-opsida

New Latin, from stem of Ancient Greek ὄψις (ópsis, “appearance”)

der

(taxonomy) Used to form names of classes of plants


-phyceae

New Latin, from Ancient Greek φῦκος (phûkos, “seaweed, wrack”)

(taxonomy) Used to form names of classes of algae


-mycetes

New Latin, from Ancient Greek, a plural form of μύκης (múkēs, “mushroom, fungus, mushroom-shaped objects”)

(taxonomy) Used to form names of classes of fungi and some bacteria


-idae

→ English: -id (semantic loan)

→ Greek: -ίδες (-ídes) (semantic loan)

Family (biology)#History
Pierre André Latreille
William Kirby (entomologist)

Plural of a Latin transliteration of Ancient Greek -ίδης (-ídēs), a patronymic suffix. Known to have been interpreted by some as representing instead the plural of a Latin transliteration of Ancient Greek -ειδής (-eidḗs, adjectival suffix), from εἶδος (eîdos, “appearance, resemblance”).
Proposed in 1811 by William Kirby, a British entomologist, to simplify and make uniform the system of Pierre André Latreille which divided insect orders into sections. See more on Wikipedia: Family (biology) § History.

translit

(taxonomy) Used to form names of subclasses of plants.

(taxonomy) Used to form names of families of animals.


-phycidae

(taxonomy) Used to form names of subclasses of algae


-mycetidae

New Latin, from Ancient Greek stem of μύκης (múkēs, “mushroom, fungus, mushroom-shaped objects”) + -idae

(taxonomy) Used to form names of subclasses of fungi.


-anae

New Latin, from feminine plural of Latin -anus

(taxonomy) Used to form taxonomic names of superorders of plants, algae and fungi


-ales

(taxonomy) Used to form taxonomic names of orders.


-ineae

From New Latin -ineae, feminine plural of -ineus, either from Latin -īnus + -eus or rebracketed from words derived from nouns in -in- (e.g. coccineus).

Used to form names of suborders of plants, algae and fungi.


-acea

From Latin -acea, neutral plural of -aceus: belonging to, the nature of (enlarged from adjective suffix -ax, genitive -acis).

(taxonomy) Used to form taxonomic names of superfamilies of plants, algae and fungi

(zoology) Used to form taxonomic names of animals of the rank of order, suborder, or similar

(zoology, obsolete) Used to form taxonomic names of animals of the rank of superfamily before the taxonomic code was changed to prohibit such names


-aceae

From the Latin -āceae, the feminine plural of -āceus (“resembling”).

(taxonomy) Used to form the name of taxonomic families of plants, algae, bacteria, and fungi


-oideae

New Latin, from Latin feminine plural form of -oideus (“resembling”)

Used to form the taxonomic names of subfamilies of plants, algae and fungi


-eae

(taxonomy) Used to form names of taxonomic tribes of plants, algae and fungi


-inae

From Latin -īnae, feminine plural form of -īnus (“-ine”).

(taxonomy) Used to form names of subfamilies of animals.

(taxonomy) Used to form names of subtribes of plants, algae and fungi and viruses.


-oidea

New Latin, from Latin neuter plural form of -oideus (“resembling”)

(taxonomy) Used to form names of superfamilies of animals. Name may be conserved when the rank is changed, as to a parv-, infra-, or suborder, or an order or higher rank. Previously used to form names of higher rank, eg, class, which are often conserved


-ini

New Latin, nominative plural form of Latin -inus

(taxonomy) Used to indicate tribes of animals


-ina

(taxonomy) Used to form names of subtribes of animals

(taxonomy) Used to form names of suborders of animals

(taxonomy) Used to form names of taxa subordinate to the higher rank from which they are derived

(taxonomy) Used to form names of genera from other genera indicating a smaller size of organism


-ota

From Ancient Greek -ωτά (-ōtá), neuter plural of -ωτός (-ōtós), verbal adjective from the stem of -όω (-óō, denominal verb suffix). Related to translingual -ote.

Used to form names of taxa according to a prominent anatomical feature.


-ota

Used to form names of phyla of Prokaryota, as well as Fungi and Virus from the names of type genera


-aster

head

-aster m (feminine -astra, neuter -astrum or -astron)

-astra (feminine)
-astrum (neuter)
-astron (neuter)

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓στήρ (ăstḗr, “star; celestial body”).

bor

Used to create genera relating to stars; most commonly applied to echinoderms such as starfish and brittle stars.


-ia

From Latin -ia and Ancient Greek -ία (-ía), -εια (-eia), which form abstract nouns of feminine gender.

Used to form taxonomic names, especially to form genus names when appended to the name of a person, usually a scientist or a patron.


-ara

(taxonomy) Used to form the name of nothogenera, in particular for orchids


-ata

From the nominative neuter plural of Latin -ātus, -āta, with meaning: "those having, purveyed with (a certain feature)".

Tentaculata

having tentacles, tentacled, a taxonomic class made of animals having many tentacles

forms taxons from nouns with underlying meaning "having a certain feature"


-ula

From Latin -ula. Cognate with Proto-Germanic *-ilaz, whence no longer productive English -le (as in dimple and nozzle), Dutch -el, German -el.

Used to form taxonomic names, usually of genera; small-.


-ella

(taxonomy) A suffix used to form taxonomic names, of genera of bacteria.


-ae

Used to form adjectives for the species descriptor of a scientific name.


-ius

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *-yós
Old Latin -ios
Latin -iusbor.
Translingual -ius
Borrowed from Latin -ius.

etymon

suffix for making genera eponymous of a male person


-ites

From Latin -ītēs, from Ancient Greek -ῑ́της (-ī́tēs).

(taxonomy) Used to form taxonomic names, normally masculine.


-oida

(taxonomy) Used to form taxonomic names, especially of molluscs


-saurus

head

-saurus m (feminine -saura, neuter -saurum)

From Ancient Greek σαῦρος (saûros, “lizard, reptile”). The broader use, which has become standard especially for dinosaurs, follows some of the earliest non-avian dinosaur genera to be named, particularly Megalosaurus (literally “giant lizard”).

der

Forms genus names of dinosaurs, ichthyosaurs, mosasaurs, and other large extinct reptiles.


-ida

(taxonomy) Now used principally to form taxonomic names at the ranks of class and order and ranks formed by prefixes applied to class and order, often originating as names of orders


-iformes

From New Latin, from the Latin plural of -fōrmis (“-shaped”) (i.e., -fōrmēs), from fōrma (“form, contour, figure, shape, appearance, looks”).

(taxonomy) Used to form taxonomic names, principally orders of animals.


-opsis

From Ancient Greek ὄψις (ópsis, “aspect, appearance”).

Used to form taxonomic names, often at the level of genus: resemblance


-oides

Borrowed from Latin -oīdēs (“-like, -oid”).


-acanthus

From New Latin [Term?], from Ancient Greek ἄκανθα (ákantha, “thorn, spine”)

(zoology) Animal having a spine as specified.


-morpha

Borrowed from Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ, “shape, appearance”).

(zoology) Used to form taxonomic names of animals, usually at the level of infraorder or higher


-myces

From Ancient Greek μύκης (múkēs, “mushroom, fungus”).


-poda

New Latin, from Ancient Greek, plural of πούς (poús, “foot”)

Used to form taxonomic names of a rank higher than genus of animals having feet or foot-like parts


-oidei

Used to form taxonomic names of fish at the level of suborders


-ornis

New Latin, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (órnis, “bird”)


-viridae

Used to form taxonomic names of families of viruses


-morphia

Used to create taxonomic names of animals at the level of infraclass


-suchus

New Latin, from Ancient Greek Σοῦχος (Soûkhos, “the crocodile god Sobek”), from Egyptian Demotic sbk (“Sobek”), from Egyptian sbk (“Sobek”).

Used to form genus names of extinct crocodyliforms or reptiles resembling crocodiles.


-ptera

New Latin, from Ancient Greek πτερά (pterá), plural of πτερόν (pterón, “wing”)


-odea

Used to form taxonomic names of the rank of order, principally of insects


-idium

From Ancient Greek -ίδιον (-ídion, “diminutive”).

Used to form a taxonomic name, usually of a genus, by suffixation to an existing genus name; a diminutive


-phyta

Principally used to form taxonomic names of high level groups, such as subkingdoms, phyla, and classes. Only used for organisms considered to be plants in some sense.


-virinae

Used to form taxonomic names of subfamilies of viruses


-virus

From New Latin vīrus (“virus”, literally “poison”).

Used to form taxonomic names of genera of viruses


-odae

One of the suffixes used to form taxonomic names of supertribes of plants


-iformia

(Used to form taxonomic names at ranks near order, principally infraorders of insects)

Used to form taxonomic names at ranks near order; principally infraorders of insects; Used to form taxonomic names at ranks near order; principally infraorders of insects


-pus

Used to form taxonomic names and epithets relating to feet or parts resembling feet.


-fera

New Latin nominative neuter plural of -fer


-ferae

Latin from nominative feminine plural of -fer (“bearing”)


-idea

Used to form taxonomic names of animals at ranks from class to infraorder


-itae

Used to form taxonomic names of supertribes


-inea

Used to form the taxonomic names of subclasses of animals


-myza

New Latin, from Ancient Greek μυζάω (muzáō, “I suck”))

Used to form taxonomic names, especially of genera of insects with a sucking-type proboscis


-oidae

Used to form names of epifamilies in zoology


-lestes

Borrowed from Ancient Greek λῃστής (lēistḗs, “thief”).

Used to form taxonomic names, usually of genera


-phaga

Ancient Greek φάγος (phágos, “eater, glutton”)

Used to form taxonomic names, often of genera, by combination with words indicating a type of food for an organism; eater.


-teuthis

From Ancient Greek τευθίς (teuthís, “small squid”).

Used to form taxonomic names of genera of squid


-phorus

head

-phorus m (feminine -phora, neuter -phorum)

From Ancient Greek -φόρος (-phóros), from φέρω (phérō, “to bear”).

Used to form nouns naming organisms that seem to bear something suggesting what is named by a preceding word element such as a prefix


(linguistic morphology) A representation of the zero suffix.


-lagus

New Latin, from Ancient Greek λαγώς (lagṓs, “hare”)

Used to form taxonomic names of genera of rabbits


-oolithus

From Ancient Greek ᾠόν (ōión, “egg”) + λίθος (líthos, “stone”).


-ides

A borrowing of Ancient Greek -ίδης (-ídēs, “-son, son of”).


-saura

head

-saura f (masculine -saurus, neuter -saurum)

From Ancient Greek σαύρα (saúra, “lizard”), conceived of as the feminine equivalent for -saurus.

Used to form feminine genus names of dinosaurs or lizards.


-viria

Used to indicate taxonomic names of viruses at the rank of realms


-ops

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ὄψ (óps, “eye, face”), influenced by ὄψῐς (ópsĭs, “appearance”).


-caris

From Latin caris (“shrimp, marine crab”), from Ancient Greek καρίς (karís)

Used to form taxonomic names of shrimp-like copepods, principally carideans


-phyllum

Ancient Greek φύλλον (phúllon, “leaf, plant”)

der

Used to form taxonomic names of plants, especially relating to the nature of their leaves


-odes

Borrowed from Latin -odēs (“-like, -oid”), Ancient Greek -ώδης (-ṓdēs, “-like”)


-cephalus

head

-cephalus m (feminine -cephala, neuter -cephalum)

From Ancient Greek κεφᾰλή f (kephălḗ, “head”), with the Latin suffix -us m.


-odon

From Ancient Greek ὀδών (odṓn), variant of ὀδούς (odoús), or reanalysis of English -odont.

(taxonomy) Used to form names of genera, according to the appearance of their teeth.


-pro

PIE word
 *pró
Abbreviation of New Latin proto-, from Ancient Greek πρῶτος (prôtos, “first, firstmost”), from Ancient Greek πρό (pró, “before”), from Proto-Hellenic *pró, from Proto-Indo-European *pró, Proto-Indo-European *per-.

itc (“Italic languages”) + -pro → itc-pro (“Proto-Italic”)

ine (“Indo-European languages”) + -pro → ine-pro (“Proto-Indo-European”)

language families
language family#English

(linguistics) proto-; proto-language; used to create the language codes of proto-languages from the language codes of language families.


-therium

→ English: -there

From Ancient Greek θηρίον (thēríon). Compare the subclass Theria.

(taxonomy) Used to form names of mammalian genera.


-viricota

From Virus + -ota, probably influenced by -mycota in some way (See also -viricotina and -viricetes).

Used to form the taxonomic names of phyla of viruses


-viricotina

From -viricota + -ina (“subordinate taxon”), probably in analogy with -mycota : -mycotina (See also -viricetes).

Used to form the taxonomic names of subphyla of viruses


-viricetes

Derived from -viricota in analogy with -mycota : -mycetes (where the -etesÄÄ is etymological)

Used to form the taxonomic names of classes of viruses


-virae

From Virus. The Latin source of this word would not have had a byform in -ae, perhaps it was created in analogy to the eukaryotic kingdom Plantae.

Used to form the taxonomic names of kingdoms of viruses


-stoma

From Ancient Greek στόμα (stóma, “mouth”). Related to English -stome, -stomy.

(taxonomy) forms names describing the mouth.


-pteris

Borrowed from Ancient Greek πτέρῐς (ptérĭs, “fern”) (see also Pteris), further from Ancient Greek πτερόν (pterón, “feather; wing”).

Used to form taxonomic names, usually of genera, for taxa of organisms, usually with feather- or wing-like features


-zoa

From Ancient Greek ζῷα (zôia, “animals”).

(taxonomy) Forms names of eukaryotic taxa at the level of superclass and above.


-anthus

From Ancient Greek ἄνθος (ánthos, “flower”)

Used to form the names of genera of plants


idris

New Latin, from Ancient Greek ἴδρις (ídris, “experienced”), alluding to a verse by Hesiod (Works and Days, 778): ὅτε τ'ἴδρις σωρὸν αμᾶται, "while the experienced one gathers a heap", where many philologists, but not all, interpret ἴδρις as a metaphor for "ant."