Subvarieties

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Smaller distinct forms that belong within a broader variety of plant, animal, or product, each marked by minor differences
2. Subordinate types or categories nested under a larger variety, distinguished from one another by slight differences in traits
3. Minor varieties falling beneath a main variety, identified by small but recognizable variations in form or character

Etymology: "Subvarieties" is the plural of "subvariety," a noun formed in English by attaching the prefix "sub-" to "variety." The prefix comes from Latin "sub," meaning "under" or "below," so a subvariety is a variety that sits beneath a larger variety in a classification, much as a subspecies sits beneath a species. The base word "variety" has a longer road into English. It descends from Latin "varietas," built on "varius," meaning "various" or "diverse," and reached English through Middle French "varieté" and Middle English "-te," which later became the modern "-ty." Because "subvariety" is simply "sub-" added to that established noun, its history is essentially that of "variety" plus a prefix English speakers have used freely for centuries.

Synonyms: strain, cultivar