Lophotriorchis
lof-oh-try-OR-kiss
Genus
crested hawk (with three-part testes)
Literally: three-testicled crest / crested hawk with three testes
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| lopho- | crest, ridge | Greek (loph, -o) | combining form loph- + connecting vowel -o- |
| tri- | three | Greek (tri) | combining form of treis (three); here likely a prefix on the genus Hieraaetus/Accipiter subgroup Triorchis |
| -orchis | testicle; also an orchid (whose tubers resemble testes) | Greek (orchis, orchi, -o) | Greek ὄρχις (órkhis); in ornithology Triorchis (literally 'three testes') was an old name for honey-buzzards and hawks, believed (incorrectly) by the ancients to have three testes; -orchis is the terminal noun |
The name is a compound genus name treated as a Latin feminine noun. It is built from three Greek elements: lopho- (crest) + tri- (three) + -orchis (testis/hawk). The second and third elements together (Triorchis) were an established subgeneric name in raptor taxonomy before Lopho- was prefixed to indicate the crested species. The whole compound is a Greek-style noun in apposition used as a genus name.
Pronunciation
- lof-oh-try-OR-kiss Penult rule 5: the penult vowel (-or-) is short but followed by two consonants (-rch-), so the penult is stressed. The ch = hard 'k'; initial L is voiced; -is = short i + s.
Other readings
lopho- + triorchis (most likely, as Triorchis was a pre-existing raptor subgenus); alternatively loph- + o- (connecting vowel) + tri- + orchis with no subunit boundary
Lophotriorchis is the genus of the blyth's hawk-eagle (Lophotriorchis kienerii), formerly placed in Spizaetus or Hieraaetus. The subgenus Triorchis (Greek τρί-ορχις, 'three-testicled') was a classical and medieval belief that certain raptors (especially the honey-buzzard) possessed three testes; Aristotle referenced it. The name was applied in ornithology by early systematists. All three roots (loph-, tri-, orchis) were confirmed in the dictionary. The genus name is conventionally treated as feminine in ornithological usage.