phyletic
|phy-let-ic|
/faɪˈlɛtɪk/
relating to lineage/phylogeny
Etymology
'phyletic' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'phyleticus', where the Greek root 'phylē' meant 'tribe, race'.
'phyletic' changed from New Latin 'phyleticus' (used in scientific Latin) and entered modern English as 'phyletic' via 19th-century biological literature.
Initially it referred to things relating to 'tribe' or 'race' in the sense of lineage; over time it became specialized to mean 'relating to phylogeny or evolutionary lineage' in biology.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to phylogeny or the evolutionary development and relationships of a group of organisms.
The study described the phyletic relationships among the island bird species.
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Adjective 2
pertaining to a single evolutionary lineage (used in contexts contrasting phyletic vs. polyphyletic or indicating gradual change within a lineage).
Phyletic gradualism proposes that species evolve by slow transformation within a single lineage.
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Last updated: 2025/08/17 09:05