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Glite Dictionary
subfamily Carduelinae

subfamily Carduelinae

9.9
A group of small seed-eating birds in the finch family
  • noun
  • /sʌbˈfæmɪli kɑrˈdjuːlɪneɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : subfamilia Carduelinae
  • The subfamily Carduelinae includes well-known birds such as greenfinches and goldfinches.

Examples

  • Many members of the subfamily Carduelinae are recognizable by their strong, conical beaks.

  • Many members of the subfamily Carduelinae are known for their vibrant colors.

  • Ornithologists often debate the precise species that belong to the subfamily Carduelinae.

  • The subfamily Carduelinae includes many beautiful birds.

  • Many members of the subfamily Carduelinae are recognizable by their strong, conical beaks.

  • The subfamily Carduelinae includes well-known birds such as greenfinches and goldfinches.

  • Ornithologists often debate the precise species that belong to the subfamily Carduelinae.

Synonyms

Carduelinae
vssubfamily Carduelinae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of small birds that eat seeds, like goldfinches and siskins

is the actual taxonomic subgroup of seed-eating finch species

Surface Forms

subfamily Carduelinae singular
subfamilies Carduelinae plural

Morphology

subfamily + Carduelinae

This expression is fully compositional: 'subfamily' denotes a taxonomic rank and 'Carduelinae' is the proper name of a finch group, so the combined meaning (the subfamily called Carduelinae) is directly derivable from the parts. Taxonomic naming follows a consistent, cross-linguistic pattern, making the construction immediately understandable to learners who know both constituents.

Etymology

Subfamily Carduelinae gets its name from the Latin word for the 'goldfinch', a bird that eats 'thistle' seeds, because many birds in this group have strong beaks for seeds. So the name refers to a subgroup of finches known for being 'seed-eating' birds like goldfinches and siskins.