Myrmoderus
mur-MOH-der-us
Genus
ant-skinned one (a bird whose plumage pattern resembles that of an ant)
Literally: ant-skin / ant-hide
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myrmo- | ant | Greek (myrme, -o) | combining form myrmo- (also myrmeco-); stem from Greek μύρμηξ (myrmēx) |
| -derm- | skin, hide | Greek (derm, -ato, -o) | root derma/dermos; the -us ending makes it a masculine Latin-form noun in apposition |
| -us | masculine nominative singular ending | Latin | standard genus-name termination |
A single compound Greek noun Latinized for use as a genus name. The first element myrmo- (ant) functions as a modifier of the head noun derm- (skin/hide), with the whole word treated as a masculine Latin second-declension noun via the ending -us. There is no specific epithet here; Myrmoderus is the genus name alone.
Pronunciation
- mur-MOH-der-us Penult rule 4: the penult vowel 'o' is long (open syllable before a single consonant), so stress falls on the penult (MOH).
Other readings
An alternative segmentation myrmo- + -oderus could treat -oderus as a suffix meaning 'neck/throat' (from Greek deirē), but this is far less plausible than derm- (skin) given the attested pattern of bird-genus names.
Some sources analyze the combining vowel as myrm- + -o- + -derus, where -o- is purely connective; the result is identical in meaning.
The dictionary confirmed both 'myrme' (ant) and 'derm' (skin) in the dictionary. Myrmoderus is a genus of antbirds (family Thamnophilidae), named for their association with ants and/or their cryptic, bark-like plumage. The segment myrmo- is the short combining form of myrmec-/myrmeco- (full form of the ant root); both appear in scientific nomenclature (e.g. Myrmecophaga, Myrmotherium).