Eclectus
ek-LEK-tus
Genus
The select one; [the parrot] that stands apart
Literally: [the] chosen / picked-out one
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ec- | out, out of, from | Greek (ec) | Assimilated form of Greek ek- before consonant; prefix giving the sense of 'out from' |
| lect | chosen, picked | Greek | Verbal root of Greek eklégein 'to pick out, select'; the full Greek adjective is eklektós (ἐκλεκτός) |
| -us | past-participial / adjectival ending; here masculine nominative singular | Latin (-tus, =ta, =tum) | Latinizes the Greek eklektós into a nominative singular noun suitable for a genus name |
Eclectus is a single-word genus name formed by Latinizing the Greek adjective eklektós (ἐκλεκτός), 'picked out, chosen, select,' itself built from the prefix ec- ('out of') + the root lect ('chosen/picked') + the Latin nominative ending -us. It functions as a masculine Latin noun in apposition, standing alone as the genus name. Wagler (1832) coined it for the eclectus parrots (e.g. Eclectus roratus), whose extreme sexual dichromatism — males brilliant green, females bright red and blue — makes them so visually 'picked out' or distinctive that males and females were long classified as entirely separate species.
Pronunciation
- ek-LEK-tus Penult rule 5: the penult syllable 'lec' has a short vowel (e) followed by two consonants (c + t), making the penult heavy and therefore stressed.
Other readings
ec- + lect + -us could theoretically be read as ec- (Greek 'outside') + lect (Latin 'a bed/couch') + -us, but this yields no meaningful sense in context. The Greek 'chosen/picked' reading is overwhelmingly supported by the biology and by Wagler's own intent.
The exact Greek source word eklektós (ἐκλεκτός) was not found as a single entry in the dictionary, but its two constituent elements — ec (Greek, 'out of, from') and lect (Greek, 'chosen, picked') — are both confirmed there. The compound is also corroborated by the dictionary entry eclog (Greek, 'pick out, select'), which shares the same ec- + leg-/lect- etymology. Eclectus roratus (the Moluccan eclectus parrot) is the type species. The name's allusion to the birds' conspicuous, 'select' appearance is well documented in ornithological literature. The final -us is short by pronunciation rule (vowel in the final syllable is short), giving a three-syllable word with stress on the middle syllable: ek-LEK-tus.