Saurischians

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A clade of theropod and sauropodomorph dinosaurs characterized by specific pelvic structures, often featuring large members like Tyrannosaurus and Brachiosaurus
2. A group within the dinosaur order distinguished by their lizard-hipped anatomy, including predatory and herbivorous species
3. Referring to a major division of reptiles from the Mesozoic era, encompassing both modern birds and their dinosaur ancestors

Etymology: "Saurischians" is the plural of "saurischian," a noun built from the scientific name Saurischia, which was coined as a Latin-style label for one of the two great orders of dinosaurs. Saurischia itself is a Translingual term, meaning it is used across scientific languages rather than belonging to any one of them, and it was formed from Greek roots meaning "lizard" and "hip" or "pelvis," a reference to the shape of the pelvic bones that set these reptiles apart from their relatives. The English ending "-an" was attached to the scientific name to turn it into a noun for members of the group. That suffix has a long pedigree, passing from Latin "-ānus" through Old French "-ain" into Middle English as "-an," and it is the same ending found in words like "American" or "Victorian," meaning someone or something belonging to a particular category.