Eumomota
yoo-moh-MOH-tuh
Genus
the true motmot
Literally: true/good Momota (motmot)
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eu- | well, good, true, properly so called | Greek (eu) | common intensifying prefix in scientific names |
| momota | the motmot bird genus; ultimately from a Nahuatl/Mexican imitative word for the motmot's call | New Latin (Momota) | Momota was the original genus name for motmots; Eumomota distinguishes the turquoise-browed motmot as the 'true' or 'typical' motmot |
Eumomota is a compound genus name formed by prefixing the Greek intensifier eu- ('true, genuine, typical') to the existing genus name Momota (motmots, family Momotidae). The full word is treated as a Latin feminine noun, as is standard for genus names. The construction follows the common taxonomic practice of adding eu- to a base genus to denote the type or most characteristic member of that group.
Pronunciation
- yoo-moh-MOH-tuh Penult rule 4: the penult vowel 'o' in '-mo-' is long (open syllable before a single consonant), so the penult (third syllable, 'mo') is stressed. Final -a = 'uh'.
Other readings
Some sources read eu- simply as 'well' or 'good', yielding 'good motmot', but 'true/typical motmot' is the more precise taxonomic sense.
Momota is not in the roots dictionary as it is a New Latin genus name coined from a Nahuatl/Mexican onomatopoeia for the motmot's distinctive 'mot-mot' hooting call. Marked in_dictionary: false accordingly. Eumomota superciliosa (the turquoise-browed motmot) is the sole species in this genus, found in Central America. eu- is confirmed in the dictionary as Greek, meaning 'well, good, true'.