Aglaiocercus
ag-lye-oh-SER-kus
Genus
The brilliant-tailed one; named for the extraordinarily long, iridescent tail feathers of these hummingbirds (sylphs)
Literally: Splendid-tail
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| aglai- | Splendor, beauty; splendid, brilliant | Greek (agla, -i, -o, =us) | Combining form aglai-/aglao-; related to Aglaia, one of the three Graces in Greek mythology |
| -o- | Connecting vowel | Standard Greek connective -o- | |
| cerc- | The tail | Greek (cerc, -o, =us) | From Greek kerkos (κέρκος) |
| -us | Nominative singular ending, masculine gender | Latin | Standard Latinized termination for Greek-derived genus names |
A pure Greek nominal compound Latinized with the ending -us. The adjectival stem aglai(o)- (splendid, brilliant) modifies the head noun cerc-/-cercus (tail), joined by the Greek connecting vowel -o-. The compound functions as a single masculine genus name meaning 'the one with a splendid tail'.
Pronunciation
- ag-lye-oh-SER-kus Antepenult stress: the penult (cer) has a short vowel followed by a single consonant, so stress retreats to the antepenult (o). The ai in the second syllable is a diphthong pronounced as long i (eye).
Commonly: ag-LIE-oh-ser-kus (some ornithologists stress the diphthong syllable as the penult anchor, but classical rules place stress on the antepenult)
Other readings
aglao- + cercus: the combining form could equally be read as aglao- (the -o- being part of the first root rather than a separate connective), but the meaning is identical either way.
The genus contains the sylph hummingbirds (family Trochilidae), named for the males' extraordinarily long, iridescent forked tail feathers. Both roots are confirmed in the dictionary: agla, -i, -o, =us (Greek: splendor, beauty; splendid, brilliant) and cerc, -o, =us (Greek: the tail). The -o- between the two roots is the standard Greek connecting vowel; it may alternatively be read as the combining-form suffix of aglao-, with no change in meaning.