Morpheme
Phalange
Type
free base
Denotation
(1) line of battle, battle array, army ranks, clustered mass, main body, round piece, joint; (2) spider
Etymology
Old French phalange; Latin phalangem and phalangis/phalangos and phálangēs, from phalanx; Ancient Greek phálangos and phálanges, from phálanx
Evidence
monophalangic, phalange, phalangeal, phalanges, phalangic, phalangid, Phalangida, phalangigrade, phalangiid, Phalangiidae, phalangioid, Phalangioidea, Phalangist, Phalangista, phalangite, phalangites, Phalangium, polyphalange
Notes
phalange, phalanx, plank, planch, planche, and plancha are doublets
Latin plural <Phalange + -es> and English plural <Phalange + -(e)s> are homographs and homophones
“spider” notion from segments of a spiderleg resembling military formation
