Dendrortyx
den-DROR-tiks
Genus
tree quail
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dendro- | a tree | Greek (dendr, -o, =on) | combining form dendro- from Greek δένδρον; the final -o- is the standard Greek combining vowel |
| -rtyx | a quail | Greek (orty, -g, =x) | full form is ortyx (ὄρτυξ, stem ortyg-); the initial 'o' is elided because it would directly follow the combining vowel -o- of dendro-, avoiding a double vowel at the junction |
A compound Greek noun formed by joining dendro- (tree) + ortyx (quail) with elision of the initial 'o' of ortyx: dendro- + (o)rtyx → Dendrortyx. This elision at a vowel boundary is a standard Greek compounding convention. The result is treated as a Latin feminine noun (genus names ending in -yx are conventionally feminine) serving as the genus name. No specific epithet is present; this is a genus-level name only.
Pronunciation
- den-DROR-tiks Penult rule 5: the penult syllable 'dror' contains a short vowel 'o' followed by two consonants (r then t), so the penult is stressed. Final -yx = short 'i' + x (= ks), giving 'tiks'.
Other readings
One could theoretically parse -dror- as Latin ror (dew) after Greek end- (inner), yielding 'inner dew quail', but this is etymologically implausible and contradicted by the clear dendro- + ortyx formation attested in related genera such as Cyrtonyx and Oreortyx.
Both roots confirmed in the dictionary: dendr, -o, =on (Greek, 'a tree') and orty, -g, =x (Greek, 'a quail'). Dendrortyx was established by Gould (1844) for the wood-partridges of Mexico and Central America. Despite the name meaning 'tree quail', modern classification places them in the family Odontophoridae (New World quails). The elision of the initial vowel of ortyx after the combining vowel -o- parallels other ornithological genera, e.g. Dendrocitta (dendro- + citta), and is the reason the genus is spelled Dendrortyx rather than *Dendroortyx.