Chaetura
KEE-tyoo-ruh
Genus
the bristle-tailed swift; named for the stiff, spine-like tail-feather shafts that project beyond the vanes and are used to brace against vertical surfaces
Literally: bristle-tail
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaet- | long flowing hair, mane; a bristle | Greek (chaet, =a, -o) | stem chaet-; here refers to the stiff projecting rachises of the rectrices |
| -ura | the tail | Greek (ur, =a, -o) | combining form -oura/-ura; supplies the feminine noun ending -a; connecting vowel dropped before initial vowel |
A two-part Greek compound noun treated as feminine in New Latin (ending -a). The head is -ura (tail) and the modifier is chaet- (bristle), giving 'bristle-tail'. No connecting vowel is needed because -ura begins with a vowel. Species epithets must agree in gender with the feminine genus, e.g. Chaetura pelagica.
Pronunciation
- KEE-tyoo-ruh Antepenult stressed: penult vowel u is short and followed by only one consonant r, so penult rules do not apply; stress falls on the antepenult. The diphthong ae = long e (ee); ch = hard k; final -a = uh.
Other readings
No plausible alternative segmentation: the ae diphthong rules out splitting ch-ae differently, and the dictionary unambiguously yields chaet- + -ura.
Both roots found in the dictionary. The bristle reference alludes to the diagnostic projecting rachis spines of Chaetura swifts, used to cling to hollow trees and chimneys. Genus erected by Stephens, 1826, for the chimney swift and its allies (family Apodidae).