Cypsiurus
sip-see-YOO-russ
Genus
the swift-tailed one; one with the tail of a swift
Literally: swift-tail
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| cypsi- | a swift (the bird); a hollow structure; a beehive | Greek (cypsel) | Stem cypsel-; final -el dropped and connecting vowel -i- added before the next root. Compare the old genus name Cypselus for swifts (Apodidae). |
| -i- | connecting vowel | Greek connecting vowel linking cypsel- to the following root | |
| -ur- | the tail | Greek (ur, =a, -o) | From Greek οὐρά (ourá); appears here in the combining form -ur- before the Latin nominative ending |
| -us | nominative singular masculine ending | Latin | Standard Latin nominative ending used for New Latin genus names; gives the word grammatical gender (masculine) |
Cypsiurus is a compound noun formed from two Greek roots joined by the connecting vowel -i-, with a Latin nominative ending -us appended, as is standard for New Latin genus names. The first element (cypsel-, 'a swift') functions as a modifying noun, and the second element (-ur-, 'tail') is the head noun, so the compound reads 'swift-tail' — the tail characteristic of a swift, or 'the swift-tailed one'. The genus Cypsiurus Bonaparte, 1851 contains the palm swifts (family Apodidae), birds noted for their slender, forked tails.
Pronunciation
- sip-see-YOO-russ Penult contains the vowel u; Rule 4 states that most penults whose vowel is u take primary stress, so the third syllable (-u-) is stressed.
Other readings
An alternative reading treats cypsi- as directly from Greek kypselē (hollow vessel, beehive), without specific reference to the bird called a swift, giving 'hollow-tailed' — but the ornithological context makes 'swift-tailed' strongly preferable.
The root cypsel is confirmed in the dictionary with the meaning 'a hollow structure; a swift; a beehive' (Greek). The specific sense 'swift' (the bird) is well established in ornithological New Latin, as in the older genus Cypselus Illiger, 1811, from which Cypsiurus was split. The tail root ur, =a, -o (Greek, 'the tail') is confirmed in the dictionary; a doublet form our, =a is also listed with the same meaning. The connecting vowel -i- and the Latin ending -us are standard devices in New Latin nomenclature and are not separately entered as dictionary roots.