----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for July 2, 1999
----------------------------------------------------------------------
agnathan [adj. AG-nuh-thun]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If a creature is agnathan, then it lacks a jaw. The word is usually
applied only to the primitive eel-like members of the class Agnatha, which
includes hagfish and lampreys, plus various extinct creatures. Their
relatives gave rise to all the other kinds of fish, including those that
developed actual jaws.
To make this word, the Greek gnathos (jaw) gets the Greek prefix a-
(without) and the suffix -an (of, relating to, or resembling). The same
root that led to gnathos also evolved into these "jaw" words:
gnathic: relating to the jaw
gnathite: jaw-like appendage of an arthropod
-gnathous (suffix): relating to the jaw
chin: lower jaw, from Germanic kinnuz
genial [ji-NY-ul]: relating to the chin
The seemingly jaw-related words gnash and gnaw stem from different roots.
Today's Cool Fact is about an agnathan creature:
http://www.cool-fact.com/archive/1999/07/02.html
- - - - - - FREE Cool Word of the Day gift subscriptions - - - - - -
If you enjoy Cool Word of the Day, why not sign up a friend?
It's free, and takes only about a minute.
- - - - - - - - - http://www.tlk-lists.com/giftsub/ - - - - - - - - -
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cool Word of the Day list membership: 112,145
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To send a free gift subscription: http://www.tlk-lists.com/giftsub/
Subscribing, unsubscribing, address changes:
Existing subscribers: http://www.tlk-lists.com/change/
To join as a new subscriber: http://www.tlk-lists.com/join/
To become a sponsor: http://www.tlk-lists.com/sponsor/
Feedback: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) 1999, The Learning Kingdom, Inc.
http://www.LearningKingdom.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
