Myzomela
mih-ZO-meh-la
Genus
the black nectar-sucker
Literally: suck-black
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| myzo- | to suck | Greek (myz, -o) | combining form myzo- before a consonant; refers to nectar-feeding behaviour |
| -mela | black | Greek (melan, -o) | melan- 'black' with the final -n dropped before the end of the compound, as commonly happens in Greek-derived scientific names; refers to the dark plumage typical of many species in the genus |
A single Greek compound noun used as a New Latin genus name, treated as feminine. The first element myzo- is the combining form of myzein 'to suck', and the second element -mela is a clipped form of melan- 'black'. Together they form a noun in apposition describing the animal: a black nectar-sucker. The name alludes to the honeyeater's nectar-sucking habit and the predominantly black coloration of many of its species.
Pronunciation
- mih-ZO-meh-la Four syllables (my-zo-me-la). Penult 'me' has a short vowel followed by a single consonant, so penult stress is not triggered; stress falls on the antepenult 'zo'.
Commonly: my-ZO-meh-la (with a long 'my-' as in 'my'; common in English bird literature)
Other readings
myzo- (suck) + mel=a (the cheeks) — 'cheek-sucker'; grammatically possible but biologically unlikely and rarely cited
myzo- (suck) + mel- (honey) — 'honey-sucker'; semantically attractive and sometimes suggested, but the standard etymology resolves -mela as the clipped form of melan- 'black', consistent with the dark plumage of type species
Myzomela is a large genus of honeyeaters (family Meliphagidae) found across Australasia and the Pacific. The clipping of melan- to -mela in compounds is a normal Greek practice (cf. Melampus, Melanerpes, etc.). The reading myzo- + mel- 'honey' ('honey-sucker') is semantically tempting given the birds' diet, but the standard ornithological etymology is myzo- + melan- 'black'.