Lophotis
LOH-foh-tis
Genus
crested bustard
Literally: crest + bustard
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| lopho- | a crest, tuft | Greek (loph, -i, -o, =us) | combining form lopho-, the -o- is the combining vowel absorbed into the segment |
| -otis | a bustard | Greek (=otis) | standalone terminal form; names birds of family Otididae |
A compound Greek noun: loph(o)- (crest, tuft) + -otis (bustard). The combining form lopho- drops nothing before the vowel-initial root otis would normally require, but here the -o- of lopho- is retained as a connecting vowel before the consonant-initial form. The whole name functions as a single Latin-treated noun of feminine gender (following the gender of Otis, the parent bustard genus). No species epithet is given — this is a genus name alone.
Pronunciation
- LOH-foh-tis Three syllables: antepenult LO, penult pho, ultima tis. Penult vowel o is short and followed by only one consonant (t), so penult stress rules do not apply; stress falls on the ANTEPENULT. The antepenult o is long because it is followed by a single consonant (ph) and then another vowel (o).
Commonly: loh-FOH-tis (sometimes heard, shifting stress to the penult by analogy with other -otis names)
Other readings
A minority reading would parse lop- (Greek: scale, husk) + -o- + -otis, giving 'scaly bustard', but loph- (crest) is far more consistent with the morphology of the birds in this genus, which bear conspicuous crests.
Lophotis is a genus of crested bustards (family Otididae) found in sub-Saharan Africa, comprising species such as L. ruficrista (red-crested korhaan). The name is a transparent Greek compound fully confirmed by both dictionary entries. The root =otis (bustard) is the same root used in the parent genus Otis and the family name Otididae. Do not confuse the segment -otis here with ot/oto- (Greek: ear), which shares the same letters but is a different dictionary entry.