Myiagra
my-EE-ag-ruh
Genus
fly-catcher; a hunter of flies
Literally: fly-hunter
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| myio- | a fly (insect) | Greek (myia, myio) | combining form of Greek μυῖα (myia); the -o- is a connecting vowel linking to the following root |
| -agra | a catching, seizure, trap; a hunt | Greek | from Greek ἄγρα (ágra), 'a catching' or 'hunt'; used as a suffix meaning 'catching' or 'hunter of' |
Myiagra is a single compound genus name formed from two Greek elements: myio- (fly) + -agra (catching/hunting). Together they form a noun in apposition functioning as the genus name, treated as feminine in Latin (as is conventional for Greek-derived genus names ending in -a). It describes the bird as a 'catcher of flies', referencing its flycatcher lifestyle. The genus contains the monarch flycatchers of Australasia.
Pronunciation
- my-EE-ah-gruh Penult rule: the penult syllable 'ah' is a vowel followed by only one consonant before the final syllable, but the antepenult 'ee' is followed by another vowel ('ah'), making it potentially long; however, the word has four syllables (my-i-ag-ra) and the penult 'ag' has a short vowel followed by two consonants (g+r), triggering penult stress (rule 5: short penult vowel followed by two consonants). The stress therefore falls on the penult: 'AG'.
Commonly: my-EE-uh-gruh
The dictionary and a dictionary lookup confirm both segments in the dictionary. myia/myio (Greek: fly) is well-attested. -agra (Greek: a catching, hunt, seizure) appears in scientific names such as Pelecanus (via podagra, 'gout', literally 'foot-trap') and Chiragra; it derives from Greek ἄγρα. The genus Myiagra was established by Vigors & Horsfield (1827) for a group of Australasian monarch flycatchers. The name aptly captures the birds' habit of catching flies on the wing. Syllabification: My-i-ag-ra (4 syllables). The 'y' in 'My-' is pronounced as a long-i ('my'), the 'i' following forms its own syllable ('ee'), giving the characteristic 'my-EE' opening.