Corythopis
ko-RITH-oh-pis
Genus
the helmet-faced one
Literally: helmet face / helmet appearance
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coryth- | a helmet | Greek (cory, -d, =s / =corys) | The dictionary gives the base form cory- and terminal =corys; the oblique (genitive) stem of Greek κόρυς is κόρυθ- (coryth-), which is the standard form used in Greek compounding |
| -o- | connecting vowel | Standard Greek compounding vowel linking the two roots | |
| -pis | the face, appearance; the voice | Greek (op, =s / =ops) | Dictionary gives op, =s and =ops (Greek) 'The face, appearance; the voice'. In this name the stem op- takes the Greek nominative-feminine ending -is, yielding -opis, forming a feminine noun meaning 'the faced / the appearing one'. The suffix -opis/-ops is common in scientific bird and reptile genera (e.g. Notophis, Homalopsis). |
A purely Greek bahuvrihi (possessive) compound treated as a feminine noun in Latin, as is conventional for bird genera. Coryth- is the oblique stem of κόρυς, κόρυθος (helmet); -o- is the standard Greek connecting vowel; -opis is op- (face, appearance) with a Greek nominative-feminine -is ending. The whole compound means 'one having a helmet(-like) face or appearance.' Corythopis is the sole genus of the family Corythopidae (South American flycatchers), named for the distinctive crest pattern on the bird's head.
Pronunciation
- ko-RITH-oh-pis Four syllables: co | ryth | o | pis. The penult vowel 'o' is short and is followed by only one consonant (p) before another vowel, so penult-stress rules 4 and 5 do not apply. Stress falls on the ANTEPENULT syllable 'ryth'.
Other readings
One could parse Cory- (helmet) + th- (stem junction artifact) + -opis without a distinct connecting vowel, but the canonical Greek compounding of κόρυθ- + -o- + -opis is the better analysis.
The element -opis could alternatively be read as a compressed form of opisth- (behind), but this gives no sensible ornithological meaning and is strongly disfavoured.
Dictionary confirmed: cory, -d, =s and =corys (Greek) 'A helmet'; op, =s and =ops (Greek) 'The face, appearance; the voice'. The oblique stem coryth- (gen. κόρυθος) is a well-known Greek stem change not separately listed in the dictionary but follows standard Greek declension of σ-stem nouns in -υς. Corythopis is placed in its own monotypic family Corythopidae (two species: C. torquatus and C. delalandi) endemic to South America.