Morus
MOH-rus
Genus
The mulberry; applied to mulberry trees (Moraceae) and also independently to gannets (Sulidae)
Literally: A mulberry
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mor- | a mulberry | Latin (mor, -i, =us) | Full word taken directly from classical Latin; the root itself carries the meaning |
| -us | nominative singular ending | Latin | Feminine here by the Latin convention that tree names are feminine, though -us endings are typically masculine |
Single-word genus name taken directly from the classical Latin noun morus (feminine, second-declension by the tree-name convention). No species epithet is present, so no gender agreement or genitive analysis is required. In botanical use (Morus L.) it names the mulberry trees; in ornithological use (Morus Vieillot) it was applied to gannets as a classical borrowing.
Pronunciation
- MOH-rus Two-syllable word: penult is always stressed (Rule 1). Penult vowel o is long in the open stressed syllable; final -us has a short u.
Other readings
Greek mor- (stupid, foolish) + -us is theoretically parseable but ruled out by the dictionary's standalone Latin entry morus = a mulberry and by the taxonomic context of both uses.
The dictionary contains both Latin mor, -i, =us (a mulberry) and Greek mor-, -o- (stupid, foolish). The Latin standalone form is the correct reading here. Morus is a homonymous genus name used in both botany (Morus L., Moraceae) and ornithology (Morus Vieillot, Sulidae); the ICZN and ICN govern each kingdom independently, so the same name is valid in both. No OCR issues or missing roots encountered.