Alle
AL-ee
Genus
The Little Auk — a small, stocky seabird of the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean
Literally: The dovekie
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alle | The dovekie | Icelandic (alle) | Vernacular Icelandic word adopted whole into New Latin nomenclature as a genus name; treated as feminine |
Alle is an unsegmented vernacular borrowing from Icelandic, used directly as a New Latin genus name. The species Alle alle is a tautonym (genus and specific epithet identical), permitted under ICZN rules. No roots are compounded. The Greek root all- (other, another) is superficially present in the string but is not the intended etymology.
Pronunciation
- AL-ee Rule 1 — only two syllables, so the penult (first syllable) is stressed; final -e is a long vowel (ee) per the terminal-vowel rule
Other readings
Greek all- (other, another) is present in the string but the dictionary confirms the Icelandic vernacular etymology is the correct reading for this genus name.
Alle alle is a tautonym; the specific epithet is identical to the genus name, which is allowed under the ICZN but not under the ICN. The Greek root all-, allo- (other, different) is present within the string but is not the source of this name — the dictionary entry alle (Icelandic) is the confirmed etymology. OCR or transcription issues: none detected.