Anthracothorax
an-thruh-koh-THOH-raks
Genus
coal-throated / coal-chested one
Literally: coal chest
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthrac- | coal, carbuncle | Greek (anthrax, anthrac-) | stem of ἄνθραξ (anthrax); the -c- is the stem-final consonant revealed before the connecting vowel |
| -o- | connecting vowel | standard Greek combining vowel | |
| -thorax | chest, breastplate; the thorax | Greek (thorax, thorac-) | used here as the head noun in nominative singular; genus name treated as masculine in Latin |
The name is a single compound Greek noun used as a Latin genus name (masculine). 'Anthrac-o-' is the combining form of ἄνθραξ (coal, carbuncle) and '-thorax' is the head noun (chest / breastplate). Together they form a noun in apposition meaning 'coal-chest', referring to the deep black or dark iridescent plumage on the breast and throat of these hummingbirds.
Pronunciation
- an-thruh-koh-THOH-raks Penult rule 5: the penult vowel (o in 'tho-') is short but is followed by two consonants (r + x treated as ks = two consonant sounds), so the penult is stressed.
Commonly: an-THRACK-oh-thor-aks (sometimes heard, shifting stress to the antepenult of the first element)
Other readings
A minority reading splits anthraco- as referring to 'carbuncle' (a gem or red swelling) rather than 'coal', which would suggest a fiery-red breast rather than a coal-black one; the coal/black reading is standard for this genus.
Anthracothorax Boie, 1831 is the type genus of mango hummingbirds (family Trochilidae). The name alludes to the velvety black or dark-green throat and breast patch characteristic of many species in the genus. The dictionary confirmed 'anthrax' (coal, carbuncle) and 'thorax' (chest) as dictionary entries. 'anthrax' in the dictionary covers both the mineral sense (coal, carbon) and the medical sense (carbuncle/pustule); here the mineral/colour sense (coal-black) is intended.