neoteny en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /niˈɑːtəni/ (US)
- /niˈɒtəni/ (UK)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From German Neotenie, coined in 1884 by anatomist Julius Kollmann from Ancient Greek νέος (néos, “young”) + τείνειν (teínein, “to extend, spread or tense”).
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) The retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult.
Most amphibians are aquatic only while young, but some amphibians with neoteny remain aquatic even as adults.
Richard Wrangham has noted that the domestication of animals usually tames them by slowing down components of the developmental timetable to retain juvenile traits into adulthood, a process called pedomorphy or neoteny.
2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin, published 2012, page 744:
- (countable, uncountable) The sexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| neotenies | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
neotenist · neotenin · neotenously · neotenous · neotenic
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (30)
ga neoitineacht (sexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage) · it neotenia (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · ga neoitineacht (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · fr néoténie (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · ru неоте́ния (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · it neotenia (sexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage) · ja ネオテニー (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · fa نئوتنی (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · fr néoténie (sexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage) · es neotenia (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · sv neoteni (sexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage) · oc neotenia (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · fi vajaa yksilönkehitys (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · kk неотения (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · cmn 幼態持續 /幼态持续 (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · de Neotenie (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · el νεοτενία (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · pl neotenia (sexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage) · ba неотения (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · ru неоте́ния (sexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage) · ky неотения (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · ko 유형성숙 (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · de Verjugendlichung (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · ka ნეოტენია (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · fi neotenia (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · ja 幼態成熟 (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · cmn 幼態延續 /幼态延续 (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · sv neoteni (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · pl neotenia (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult) · ja 幼形成熟 (retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult)