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Glite Dictionary
family Pongidae

family Pongidae

9.8
An old scientific name for great apes like orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees, sometimes including gibbons
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli ˈpɔŋɪdeɪ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : familia Pongidae
  • Some textbooks still use the term family Pongidae to refer to great apes, though it is now outdated.

Examples

  • Gibbons were sometimes included in family Pongidae, but this is not accepted in modern taxonomy.

  • Recent genetic studies have led to a reclassification of species formerly in family Pongidae.

  • The family Pongidae includes some of the most intelligent animals.

  • Are orangutans part of the family Pongidae?

  • Some textbooks still use the term family Pongidae to refer to great apes, though it is now outdated.

  • Gibbons were sometimes included in family Pongidae, but this is not accepted in modern taxonomy.

  • Recent genetic studies have led to a reclassification of species formerly in family Pongidae.

Synonyms

Pongidae
vsfamily Pongidae
  • Archaic
9.9

A former group of great apes including orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and sometimes gibbons

has identical meaning but uses an alternative form of the same taxonomic label

Surface Forms

family Pongidae singular
families Pongidae plural

Morphology

family + Pongidae

This is a fully compositional taxonomic phrase: 'family' (a scientific grouping) combined with the taxon name 'Pongidae' yields the group of apes called Pongidae. A B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can directly infer it refers to the taxonomic family containing those apes; such naming patterns are common across languages.

Etymology

Family Pongidae comes from an old scientific name: the word Pongo was used for the orangutan and the ending -idae showed a family or group of related animals. So family Pongidae used to mean the group of great apes like 'orangutans', 'gorillas', and 'chimpanzees', but today this name is out of date.