Gyps
JIPS
Genus
The vultures (specifically, the Old World griffon vultures)
Literally: Vulture
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyps | a vulture | Greek (gyp, =s) | Greek third-declension noun γύψ, nominative singular; used intact as the genus name; treated as feminine in Latin taxonomy |
Gyps is a monomial genus name — a single uninflected Greek noun (γύψ) borrowed directly into taxonomic Latin by Savigny (1809). There is no species epithet to relate grammatically. The word is the nominative singular of a Greek third-declension noun and stands alone as the genus name.
Pronunciation
- JIPS Monosyllable — only one syllable, so it bears the sole stress. G is soft (j) before y; y is pronounced as short i.
Other readings
The dictionary also lists gyps,-o (Greek, 'chalk', root of gypsum, from γύψος). That is a distinct Greek word and is not the correct reading here; the vulture sense (γύψ) is unambiguous given the biological context.
The dictionary contains two homographic entries for gyps: (1) gyp, =s — Greek, 'a vulture'; (2) gyps, -o — Greek, 'chalk'. The genus Gyps refers exclusively to entry (1). Gyps was coined by Savigny in 1809 and covers the Old World griffon vultures (Accipitridae).