Myza
MY-zuh
Genus
The sucker (one that sucks); an allusion to the bird's nectar-feeding habit
Literally: The sucker
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myz- | to suck; to mutter | Greek (myz, -o) | Greek verb stem myzō; the core meaning used here is 'suck', referring to nectar-feeding |
| -a | nominative singular feminine noun ending, forming the genus name | Standard Latinized genus ending; not the Greek privative prefix a- |
Myza is a single-word genus name formed from the Greek verb stem myz- (to suck) plus the Latin/New Latin feminine nominative ending -a, giving a feminine noun in apposition functioning as the genus name. It was coined for a honeyeater (family Meliphagidae) of Sulawesi, whose long bill is used to suck nectar.
Pronunciation
- MY-zuh Two-syllable word: stress the penult (rule 1). The vowel y is treated as a long i. Final -a is short 'uh'.
Other readings
One could theoretically read the final -a as the Greek privative prefix, but that would yield 'not sucking', which contradicts the bird's biology and the coiner's evident intent.
Myza is a genus of honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) found on Sulawesi; the name alludes to the bird's nectar-sucking bill. The Greek root myz- also carries a secondary meaning 'mutter', but 'suck' is clearly the intended sense here. The -a ending is the standard New Latin feminine genus-name ending, not the Greek negative prefix.