Ceratogymna
sair-at-oh-JIM-nuh
Genus
the bare-horned (hornbill)
Literally: horn + naked/bare
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerat- | horn | Greek (cerat, -o) | stem of keras (κέρας); here combined with -o- connecting vowel |
| -o- | connecting vowel | standard Greek combining vowel linking the two roots | |
| -gymna | naked, bare, unclothed | Greek (gymn, -o) | final -a gives the genus a feminine grammatical gender (New Latin genus name treated as feminine) |
Ceratogymna is a New Latin genus name formed from two Greek roots joined by the connecting vowel -o-. It is a noun in apposition functioning as the genus name. The ending -a assigns it feminine gender in the Linnaean system. The name refers to the bare, naked skin around the casque and bill base characteristic of these hornbills.
Pronunciation
- sair-at-oh-JIM-nuh Antepenult stress: the penult vowel (-ym-) is short and followed by only one consonant (n) before the final -a, so stress falls on the antepenult syllable -gym-. Final -a = 'uh'.
Other readings
No alternative segmentations are plausible; the split cerat-o-gymna is unambiguous.
The dictionary confirmed both 'cerat' (horn) and 'gymn' (naked) in the dictionary. The genus Ceratogymna contains large African hornbills (family Bucerotidae); the name alludes to the conspicuous bare facial and casque skin. 'c' before 'e' is pronounced 's', giving the initial 'sair-' sound.