Ifrita
IF-ri-tuh
Genus
The Ifrit — a name evoking the fearsome supernatural being of Arab folklore, applied to this genus of toxic passerine birds from New Guinea
Literally: Ifrit (a powerful spirit of Islamic mythology)
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ifrit- | a powerful and cunning supernatural being (jinn) in Islamic mythology, capable of great harm; sometimes rendered 'efreet' | Arabic (Ifrīt (عفريت)) | New Latin feminization: Arabic Ifrīt → New Latin Ifrita, treated as a feminine noun of the first declension (-a ending). The bird's toxicity (it sequesters batrachotoxin) likely inspired the demonic allusion. |
| -a | feminine nominative singular ending (New Latin first-declension genus name) | Latin | Grammatical feminization of the Arabic proper name |
Ifrita is a monomial genus name. It is a New Latin word formed by appending the standard feminine first-declension ending -a to the Arabic proper noun Ifrīt. As a genus name it is treated as a Latin feminine noun in the nominative singular. There is no species epithet given here.
Pronunciation
- IF-ri-tuh Three syllables (if-ri-ta). Penult vowel 'i' is short and followed by only one consonant (t), so the penult rule does not apply; stress falls on the ANTEPENULT (first syllable). Final -a = 'uh'.
Other readings
Some sources treat the name as directly transliterated from Arabic ʿIfrīt without further segmentation, making the -a simply part of the transliteration rather than an added Latin suffix; the practical result is the same.
Ifrita is not derived from Greek or Latin roots; it is a New Latin coinage based on the Arabic word ʿIfrīt (عفريت), a class of powerful jinn in Islamic tradition. No dictionary entry exists for it in a classical roots dictionary. The Blue-capped Ifrit (Ifrita kowaldi) is one of very few known toxic birds; its feathers and skin contain batrachotoxins sequestered from beetles in its diet. The sinister mythological name is considered apt. Because the name is a proper-noun coinage rather than a compound of classical roots, in_dictionary is false for all segments.