fratricidal
UK[ˌfrætrɪˈsaɪdl]US[ˌfrætrɪˈsaɪdl]
adj
relating to or involving the killing of one's brother or sister
adj
(by extension) relating to conflict or destructive activity within a group that should be united
Morpheme Breakdown
fratri
cid
al
fratri
brother
cid
kill
al
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'fratricidal' is built upon the classical latin components for 'brother' and 'killing'. the root frater descends from proto-indo-European bʰréh₂tēr, a term for a male sibling, which also gave rise to english 'brother'. the combining form -cida derives from the latin verb caedere, meaning 'to cut' or 'to kill'. when combined with the adjectival suffix -alis, the literal construction 'pertaining to brother-killing' is formed. while its original, literal sense remains, the term has evolved through metaphorical extension to describe any bitterly destructive conflict among members of a closely knit group, such as a political party or nation, capturing the profound betrayal inherent in turning against one's own.
Analysis
Structure: fratri (brother) + cid (kill) + al (adjective suffix)
fratri (from latin frater, meaning 'brother'), cid (from latin -cida, meaning 'killer' or 'act of killing'), al (from latin -alis, an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'of or pertaining to').
Examples
the civil war was a fratricidal conflict that tore families apart.
the political party was weakened by fratricidal rivalries between its leading figures.
in the myth, the fratricidal act cursed the kingdom for generations.