Apaloderma
uh-pal-oh-DER-muh
Genus
the soft-skinned one
Literally: soft skin
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apalo- | gentle, soft | Greek (hapal, -o) | The initial aspirate h- is dropped in the Latinized compound form; apalo- is the combining form of hapal- |
| -derma | skin | Greek (derm, =a, -ato, -o) | Used here in its standalone/terminal form -derma (nominative singular neuter); the -a ending also serves as the neuter noun ending for the genus name |
Apaloderma is a two-root Greek compound noun: apalo- (soft) + derma (skin), joined directly because the first element already ends in a vowel. There is no separate connecting vowel. The name functions as a single-word genus name treated as a neuter Latin noun in the nominative singular (New Latin nomenclature). As a genus-only name, there is no epithet and therefore no gender-agreement relationship to a second word. The name refers to the characteristically soft, delicate plumage of the African trogons placed in this genus.
Pronunciation
- uh-pal-oh-DER-muh Penult rule 5: the penult syllable 'der' has a short vowel (e) but is followed by two consonants (r + m), making it heavy; therefore stress falls on the penult 'DER.'
Other readings
A minority parsing reads A- as the Greek privative prefix (without) + palo- from Greek palaios (ancient), giving 'not ancient skin,' but this is biologically unmotivated and etymologically unlikely. The hapal- (soft) reading is strongly preferred.
Apaloderma is the accepted genus for the African trogons (family Trogonidae), e.g. Apaloderma narina, the Narina trogon. The root hapal- / hapalo- (Greek ἁπαλός, 'soft, tender, gentle') is confirmed in the dictionary (entry: hapal, -o; Greek; 'gentle, soft'). The Latinized form drops the initial h- as is standard in classical compounds. The root derm- / derma (Greek δέρμα, 'skin') is confirmed in the dictionary (entry: derm, =a, -ato, -o; Greek; 'skin'). The name alludes to the famously soft, loose feathering of trogons, which makes their skins very fragile in museum preparation.