endangered-species

The term is a modern compound, combining the participial adjective 'endangered' with the biological noun 'species'. 'Endangered' originates from the verb 'endanger', which emerged in the 15th century from the prefix 'en-' (to put into) and 'danger', a word that evolved from Latin dominium via Old French, shifting in sense from "power over" to "peril". 'Species' entered English in the late 14th century from Latin, retaining its core meaning of "a distinct kind or class". The specific phrase "endangered species" was coined in the mid-20th century within the context of conservation biology, logically describing a distinct biological kind that has been put into a state of peril, specifically the peril of extinction.

Structure: endanger (put at risk) + ed (adjective suffix) + species (biological kind) endanger: From English 'en-' (cause to be) + 'danger' (peril), with 'danger' ultimately from Latin dominium (power, lordship) via Old French dangier. ed: A common English suffix forming past participles and participial adjectives. species: From Latin species (appearance, kind, form), from specere (to look at).