Cichladusa
sik-la-DOO-sa
Genus
Thrush that sings; the singing thrush
Literally: the singing thrush
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cichla- | a thrush | Greek (cichl, =a) | stem cichl-; the final -a is elided into the combining form before the next element |
| -adusa | singing; the feminine present active participle of ἀείδω (aeidō), 'to sing' | Greek (ἀείδουσα (aeidousa)) | contracted Latinisation of aeídousa → -adusa; gives the genus name its feminine gender and its -a ending |
The genus name is a single Greek-derived feminine noun. The first element cichla (thrush) loses its final -a before the participial suffix -adusa (singing), yielding a compound that functions as a noun in apposition: literally 'the singing thrush.' The genus was erected by Sundevall (1850) for African morning-warblers, birds noted for their song.
Pronunciation
- sik-la-DOO-sa Penult rule 4: the penult vowel is u followed by a single consonant (s), and most penults with u are stressed.
Other readings
A minority reading splits the name as cichla + odus (way) + -a, but the resulting sense ('thrush of the way') is weak and does not fit ornithological naming conventions as well as the participial reading.
The root ἀείδουσα (aeidousa, 'singing') is not listed in the dictionary as a separate entry; it is the feminine present participle of ἀείδω (aeidō, 'to sing'), identified from general knowledge of Greek morphology. Confidence: medium. The dictionary confirms cichl, =a as Greek for 'a thrush' (the same root that gives Cichlidae, the cichlid fishes, whose name was also applied to thrush-like perch by early naturalists).