Calyptura
ka-lip-TYOO-ra
Genus
the one with a covered (or concealed) tail
Literally: covered tail; cover-tail
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| calypt- | covered; a cover | Greek (calypt, -o) | from Greek kalyptō (to cover); combining form calypt-/calypto- |
| -ura | the tail | Greek (ur, =a, -o) | standalone form -ura; feminine noun ending, giving the genus its feminine grammatical gender |
Calyptura is a single-word genus name composed of two Greek roots joined directly (calypt- + -ura). The first root, calypt-, functions as a modifier meaning 'covered' or 'a cover,' and -ura is the head noun meaning 'tail.' Together they form a compound feminine noun meaning 'covered tail' or 'cover-tail,' alluding to the concealed or cloaked appearance of the bird's tail or tail-coverts. The name was applied by George Robert Gray in 1840 to the Kinglet Calyptura (Calyptura cristata), a tiny Brazilian cotinga whose distinctive crest and plumage give an impression of a veiled or covered rear.
Pronunciation
- ka-lip-TYOO-ra Penult rule 4: the penult vowel is 'u' followed by a single consonant, and the ending -ura is explicitly listed as a penult-stressing ending; stress therefore falls on the penult syllable 'tu.'
Commonly: In everyday English speech the stress often shifts to the second syllable: kuh-LIP-chur-uh (with 'tu' reduced to 'chur' by the yod-coalescence common in English).
Other readings
An alternative reading splits the word as calyptr- (Greek calyptr, =a, 'a veil') + -a (feminine ending), yielding simply 'a veil' (i.e., calyptra). However, this requires the letter sequence C-A-L-Y-P-T-U-R-A to contain an implicit 'r' before 'u,' which it does not. The calypt- + -ura split is therefore strongly preferred and accounts for every letter.
Both component roots (calypt, -o and ur, =a, -o) are confirmed in the dictionary. The related noun calyptr, =a ('a veil') is also in the dictionary but does not fit the spelling Calyptura without inserting an extra 'r'; it is mentioned only as an alternative for completeness. Calyptura cristata (the Kinglet Calyptura) is a cotinga endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil; the name may refer specifically to the way the crest or tail-coverts appear to cover or veil the tail. The genus is monotypic.