Ducula
doo-KYOO-luh
Genus
the little duke (a small commander or lordly one)
Literally: little leader / little duke
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| duc- | lead; by extension, a leader, duke (Latin dux, stem duc-) | Latin (duc, -t) | stem of Latin dux (leader, commander), from which English 'duke' descends |
| -cula | little (diminutive suffix) | Latin (-cul, =a, =um, =us) | feminine form -cula agrees with feminine gender of the resulting noun; combined with duc- the word means 'little leader' |
Ducula is a single-word genus name, feminine in grammatical gender (the diminutive suffix -cula is feminine). It is formed from the Latin stem duc- (from dux, 'leader') plus the Latin diminutive suffix -cula ('little'), producing a standalone noun in the nominative singular. No specific epithet is present; the name stands alone as the genus designation for the imperial pigeons (family Columbidae).
Pronunciation
- doo-KYOO-luh Penult stressed: the penult vowel is 'u', and the rules specify that most penults whose vowel is u take penult stress (rule 4). Final -a = 'uh'; c before u = hard 'k'.
Commonly: Sometimes heard as DYOO-kyoo-luh in English-speaking ornithological circles, but doo-KYOO-luh follows the stated rules.
Other readings
A minority reading could parse the final syllable as the Greek suffix -ul- (= 'a scar') plus -a, giving 'a scarred leader', but this is almost certainly wrong; the Latin diminutive reading is overwhelmingly more plausible and consistent with the 19th-century naming convention of Hodgson (1836).
The genus Ducula was erected by Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1836 for the large fruit-doves known as imperial pigeons. The name alludes metaphorically to their imposing, lordly appearance. Latin dux (genitive ducis, stem duc-) is not listed as a standalone entry in the dictionary, but the stem duc- is confirmed by the dictionary entry 'duc, -t = lead'. The word dux ('leader, commander') is its standard Latin nominative; 'duke' is its English descendant via French duc. The diminutive suffix -cul-/-cula is confirmed in the dictionary (id 1638) as Latin, meaning 'little'. The feminine form -cula is appropriate here, and the whole word Ducula functions as a feminine Latin noun.