Trinil man
- noun
- /ˈtrɪnɪl mæn/
- Specialized
:
hombre de Trinil
- The discovery of Trinil man in 1891 marked a milestone in paleoanthropology.
Examples
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Scientists believe Trinil man belonged to the species now called Homo erectus.
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Excavations at Trinil unearthed the skullcap and femur of Trinil man.
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The Trinil man was discovered in 1891.
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Many scientists study the Trinil man fossils.
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Excavations at Trinil unearthed the skullcap and femur of Trinil man.
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Scientists believe Trinil man belonged to the species now called Homo erectus.
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The discovery of Trinil man in 1891 marked a milestone in paleoanthropology.
Synonyms
An early human whose bones were found on the island of Java in Indonesia
An old name for early human fossils now called Homo erectus
A former name for an early human found in Java, now called Homo erectus
Surface Forms
Morphology
Trinil + man
The phrase is partly compositional: 'Trinil' is a place name and 'man' denotes a human, so a learner who knows both constituents would likely infer 'a man from Trinil' or an individual associated with that place. However, the specific paleontological sense (fossil remains of an early human/Homo erectus) and the scientific/historical nuance are not predictable from the parts and the proper name is fairly obscure, making the expression only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Trinil man comes from the place called Trinil on the island of Java, where a Dutch scientist found an old skull and leg bone in 1891. Because those bones looked like an early human, people called them Trinil man, so today the name refers to those 'fossil' remains of an 'early human'.
