Circus
SIR-kus
Genus
The ringed (hawk); named for the harrier's characteristic habit of circling or wheeling low over open ground while hunting.
Literally: circle / ring
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circus | circle, ring; a circular course or arena | Latin (circus) | Latin noun, 2nd declension masculine, used directly as the genus name; the ornithological genus Circus (Lacépède, 1799) groups the harriers — hawks known for low, ringing flight over fields and marshes |
The name is a single Latin noun, masculine gender, 2nd declension (nominative singular -us). It stands alone as a uninomial genus name with no specific epithet here. The harriers were named Circus because of their conspicuous habit of circling (wheeling in wide arcs) low over open ground while hunting — the same root that gives English 'circle', 'circuit', and 'circus'.
Pronunciation
- SIR-kus Two-syllable word: stress falls on the penult (rule 1). Penult vowel 'i' is short before a single consonant 'r'; 'c' before 'u' = hard 'k'; final -us, vowel is short.
Other readings
A connection to Greek κίρκος (kirkos / kirkē), itself meaning 'circle' or 'ring' and also an ancient Greek name for a kind of hawk or falcon, has been proposed. The Latin circus may be a borrowing of or cognate with this Greek word. Either way the semantic core — circular motion — is the same.
The dictionary entry found for 'circ' / 'circus' confirms the Latin meaning of circle or ring (same root as English 'circle', 'circuit', 'circumference'). The genus Circus was erected by Lacépède in 1799 and contains all the harriers (e.g., Circus cyaneus, the hen harrier; Circus aeruginosus, the marsh harrier). Greek κίρκος (kirkos) is a near-homophone and near-synonym (ring; also an ancient hawk-name); the Latin and Greek words are likely cognates from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to turn / bend'.