oscine
- adjective
- /ˈɑːsɪn/
- Specialized
- Most oscine species learn their songs from adult tutors during early development.
Examples
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The remarkable vocal abilities of oscine birds have fascinated researchers for decades.
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Many oscine birds migrate during the winter.
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The ornithologist specializes in the study of oscine populations across South America.
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The oscine species are known for their beautiful songs.
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The remarkable vocal abilities of oscine birds have fascinated researchers for decades.
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The ornithologist specializes in the study of oscine populations across South America.
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Most oscine species learn their songs from adult tutors during early development.
Compounds
Surface Forms
Morphology
oscine = osc + ine
Although the suffix '-ine' is a productive adjective-forming element meaning 'relating to', the root 'osc-' is an obscure combining form (not a standalone English word), so learners cannot derive the meaning 'songbird-related' from known English components.
Etymology
Oscine comes from Latin and is tied to the idea of 'singing', because it was used for birds known for their songs. So, when something is called oscine it means 'relating to songbirds'.