aquiline

the word 'aquiline' entered english in the mid-17th century, directly from the latin adjective 'aquilinus', meaning 'of or like an eagle'. this latin term is derived from 'aquila', the latin word for eagle, which itself may have an uncertain earlier origin, though some scholars suggest a possible link to the color 'aquilus' (dark-colored). the semantic logic is direct: the primary modern meaning, describing a hooked nose, is a metaphorical extension based on the distinctive curved beak of an eagle. thus, the literal sense 'pertaining to an eagle' evolved into the descriptive adjective for a specific physical resemblance.

Structure: aquil (eagle) + ine (adjective suffix) aquil (from latin 'aquila', meaning 'eagle'); ine (a latin-derived suffix forming adjectives meaning 'of or pertaining to', 'like').