'araneae' originates from New Latin/Modern Latin, specifically the word 'Araneae' used in zoological taxonomy, ultimately from Latin 'arānea' meaning 'spider' and from Greek 'ἀράχνη' ('aráchnē').

'Araneae' developed from Latin 'arānea' (from Greek 'ἀράχνη'), and the term was adopted in Modern Latin/Scientific Latin as the formal name for the order of spiders used in biological classification.

Initially, the root meant 'spider' in general; over time it became the formal scientific name 'Araneae' referring specifically to the taxonomic order of true spiders.