Corvus
KOR-vus
Genus
The Raven (or Crow) — referring to the birds of the genus
Literally: A crow or raven
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corvus | A crow, raven | Latin (corv, =us) | Nominative singular masculine noun; the standalone form -us is the standard Latin nominative ending. Used directly as the genus name without any combining form or suffix. |
Corvus is a single Latin noun standing alone as the genus name. It is a second-declension masculine noun (nominative singular -us). Linnaeus coined the genus in 1758 by adopting the classical Latin word directly; no epithet is being analyzed here. When a species epithet is added (e.g. Corvus corax, Corvus brachyrhynchos), the epithet either agrees in gender with the masculine genus or stands as a noun in apposition.
Pronunciation
- KOR-vus Two-syllable word: stress always falls on the penult (first syllable).
Other readings
No alternative segmentation is possible; the word is a single, uncompounded Latin lexeme.
The dictionary entry is corv, =us (Latin) meaning 'a crow, raven', confirming this is a direct adoption of the classical Latin word corvus. Interestingly, the Greek parallel root cora, -c, -co, =x (Greek) also means 'a crow, raven' and gives the species name corax in Corvus corax (common raven), showing that both languages independently named the bird. Corvus was introduced by Linnaeus (1758) and is the type genus of the family Corvidae.