Kilo Lingo

l'

feminine

/ɛspɛs/

Line drawing of espèce
Coloured illustration of espèce
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Translation

species; sort, type (informal insult)

Word origin

From Latin species ('appearance, kind, sort'), from specere ('to look at').

Origin
Latin
Root
species
English cognates
species, special, spectacle

Grammar

Genderfeminine

Examples

Cette ' .

This species of bird is in danger in the region.

' cette .

There are several species of birds in this forest.

' ! .

You idiot! You could have broken everything.

Quelle ' ?

What species of bird is singing in the garden?

' ' ', j' .

He called me a stupid idiot, I was furious.

est un nom feminin avec deux registres tres differents. Au sens scientifique, c'est une categorie taxonomique (espece animale, espece vegetale). En langage familier et argotique, espece de + insulte renforce un gros mot : espece d'idiot ! Espece de fait grammaticalement accord au feminin meme pour un homme.

Payer en especes (to pay in cash) est une acception commerciale importante ou especes designe les billets et pieces. Espece humaine (humankind) et en voie d'extinction (endangered) sont des collocations scientifiques. Toujours feminin grammaticalement.

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espèce: worksheet, infographic and listicle

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This word is part of lesson 14.