Relating to or resembling a crow or raven, particularly in form or behavior.
From Latin 'corvus' (crow) + French -ine suffix. Developed in medieval and Renaissance naturalist writing to describe bird characteristics reminiscent of corvids (the crow family).
Even though rollers are named after ravens ('coracine' relates to crows), they're nothing alike—this shows how medieval naturalists sometimes got bird relationships wrong, and we had to invent new names as science improved!
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