Coracopsis
kor-uh-KOP-sis
Genus
the crow-like one; resembling a raven
Literally: crow appearance
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| coraco- | a crow, raven (standalone form: corax) | Greek (cora, -c, -co, =x) | combining form coraco- from stem korak-; the =x form gives the familiar corax |
| -opsis | appearance, face, resemblance | Greek (=ops / opsi) | common taxonomic suffix meaning 'resembling' or 'having the appearance of' |
A single-word genus name formed from the Greek combining form coraco- (crow/raven) and the suffix -opsis (appearance, resemblance). The whole word functions as a Latin feminine noun of the third declension, as is standard for genus names ending in -opsis. The name characterizes members of the genus by their crow-like, dark appearance.
Pronunciation
- kor-uh-KOP-sis Penult stress: the penult vowel 'o' (in -cop-) is short but is followed by two consonants (p+s), so the penult is heavy and receives stress.
Other readings
A minority reading could parse cop- (oar/handle) + -opsis, but coraco- is the obvious and correct longest match from position 0, supported by the genus being dark-plumaged parrots resembling corvids.
Coracopsis is a genus of vasa parrots native to Madagascar and the Comoros Islands. Their unusually dark, sooty plumage gives them a crow-like appearance, which is precisely what the name captures. The root corax (κόραξ) is also the source of the anatomical term coracoid (the crow's-beak-shaped process of the shoulder blade).