Lycocorax
lih-KOH-ko-raks
Genus
wolf raven
Literally: wolf-raven
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| lyco- | a wolf | Greek (lyc, -o, =us) | combining form lyco- before consonant |
| -corax | a crow, raven | Greek (cora, -c, -co, =x) | =corax as the terminal form; the -o- of lyco- serves as connecting vowel |
A compound Greek noun used as a genus name (treated as Latin masculine). The first element lyco- (wolf) modifies the head noun corax (raven/crow) in the typical Greek nominal compound pattern: lyco- + corax = 'wolf-raven'. The name refers to the Paradise-Crow (Lycocorax pyrrhopterus) of the Moluccas, whose harsh, wolf-like call inspired the epithet.
Pronunciation
- lih-KOH-ko-raks Four syllables: Ly-co-co-rax. Penult 'co' has a short vowel followed by a single consonant (r), so stress falls on the antepenult (second syllable): ly-CO-co-rax.
Other readings
No credible alternative segmentation: the -o- is purely a connecting vowel, not the separate root ora (Latin 'mouth') or -or (Latin 'doer'), which would leave an unanalyzable residue.
The dictionary matches for ora (Latin 'mouth') and -or (Latin 'doer') overlap with letters inside -corax but are not relevant here; corax is a unified Greek root meaning 'crow/raven' and takes priority as the longest and best-fitting match. Lycocorax pyrrhopterus, the Paradise-Crow of the North Moluccas, is the only living species; the 'wolf' element likely alludes to its loud, howling call.