'anophelinae' originates from New Latin (taxonomic formation), specifically from the genus name 'Anopheles' with the subfamily suffix '-inae', where 'Anopheles' comes from Greek roots 'an-' and 'ophelos' meaning 'without benefit' or 'useless'.

'Anopheles' was formed from Greek 'an-' + 'ophelos' and Latinized in scientific nomenclature; later the suffix '-inae' was added to form the subfamily name 'Anophelinae' used in modern zoological classification.

Initially, the Greek root carried the sense 'without benefit' or 'useless'; over time the term became a neutral scientific name for a group of mosquitoes, losing the purely pejorative meaning.