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cyp·ri·nid

(sĭprə-nĭd)

Any of numerous often small freshwater fishes of the family Cyprinidae, which includes the minnows, carps, and shiners.

[From New Latin Cyprīnidae, family name, from Cyprīnus, type genus, from Latin cyprīnus, carp, from Greek kuprīnos, perhaps from kupros, henna (from the fish's color ), probably from a Semitic source akin to Hebrew kōper, henna; see kpr³ in the Appendix of Semitic roots.]

cypri·nid adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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