Cichlopsis
sik-LOP-sis
Genus
thrush-like; one that looks like a thrush
Literally: thrush-appearance
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| cichl- | a thrush | Greek (cichl, =a) | stem cichl-, used as first element of compound |
| -o- | connecting vowel | Greek combining vowel -o-, reduced/absent before vowel-initial second element; here elided as opsis begins with a vowel | |
| -opsis | appearance; resemblance; face | Greek (opsi, -o / =ops) | standard suffix in genus names meaning 'resembling' or 'having the appearance of' |
A single-word genus name (uninomial). It is a Greek compound noun treated as feminine in Latin (following the gender of -opsis genera, feminine by convention). cichl- (thrush) + -opsis (appearance/resemblance) form a noun in apposition meaning 'the thrush-like one.' The name was coined by Bonaparte (1854) for a South American warbler superficially resembling a thrush or cichlid-billed bird.
Pronunciation
- sik-LOP-sis Penult stress: the penult vowel 'o' is followed by two consonants (ps), making it positionally long — stress falls on the penult (rule 5).
Other readings
A minority reading splits cichl- as related to the fish family Cichlidae (also from Greek kichle, a wrasse or thrush), but the meaning is the same: 'thrush-like appearance.'
The Greek word kichle (κίχλη) means both 'thrush' (a bird) and 'wrasse' (a fish); the dictionary entry gives 'a thrush,' which is the intended sense here for this bird genus. The connecting vowel -o- is elided before the vowel-initial suffix -opsis, a standard Greek compounding rule.