prosimii
|pro-si-mi-i|
🇺🇸
/prəˈsɪmiˌaɪ/
🇬🇧
/prəˈsɪmi.aɪ/
primitive primates
Etymology
'prosimii' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'Prosimia', where 'pro-' meant 'before' and 'simia' meant 'ape'.
'prosimii' changed from the New Latin word 'Prosimia' and entered scientific English as the plural taxonomic form 'prosimii' used in older classifications of primates.
Initially, it meant 'before apes' referring to primates thought to be primitive relative to apes; over time the term became an obsolete or paraphyletic grouping and has been superseded by more precise clades such as Strepsirrhini and Haplorhini.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an obsolete or historical taxonomic grouping of primates (prosimian primates) that included lemurs, lorises, galagos and sometimes tarsiers; now considered paraphyletic and largely replaced by modern groups such as Strepsirrhini and Haplorhini.
The museum's exhibit featured skulls and skeletons of several prosimii from Madagascar.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/17 12:12