subfamily Turdinae
- noun
- /sʌbˈfæmɪli ˈtɜrdɪneɪ/
- Specialized
- The subfamily Turdinae includes various species of thrushes.
Examples
-
The subfamily Turdinae includes many familiar woodland birds known for their melodious songs.
-
Recent genetic studies have led to debates over the circumscription of the subfamily Turdinae.
-
In some taxonomies, the subfamily Turdinae encompasses the true thrushes.
-
Did you know that the subfamily Turdinae is known for its melodic songs?
-
In some taxonomies, the subfamily Turdinae encompasses the true thrushes.
-
The subfamily Turdinae includes many familiar woodland birds known for their melodious songs.
-
Recent genetic studies have led to debates over the circumscription of the subfamily Turdinae.
Synonyms
A group of birds in the thrush family, like robins
Surface Forms
Morphology
subfamily + Turdinae
The noun 'subfamily' clearly signals a taxonomic rank (below family, above genus), so a learner who knows that word will understand the phrase denotes a named taxonomic group. However 'Turdinae' is a Latin taxon name with no transparent lexical meaning for a B1 learner (they will not infer it refers to thrushes), so the overall interpretation is only partially predictable.
Etymology
Subfamily Turdinae gets its name from the Latin word 'turdus', which means 'thrush', a common songbird. The word subfamily shows it is a smaller 'group' inside a larger family, so subfamily Turdinae simply means the 'group' of thrush-like birds.