Nyctidromus
NIC-tih-droh-mus
Genus
One who runs by night; an apt name for a nocturnal bird frequently encountered running along roads and paths after dark
Literally: Night-runner
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| nyct- | Night | Greek (nyc, -t, -ti, -to) | Stem of nyx/nyktos (νύξ/νυκτός); -t- is part of the stem |
| -i- | Connecting vowel joining two Greek roots | ||
| -drom- | Run; running; a race | Greek (drom, -a, -ae, -aeo, -i, -o, =us) | From Greek dromos (δρόμος); used as a terminal element |
| -us | Nominative singular ending, masculine gender | Latin | Latinizes the Greek compound and fixes grammatical gender as masculine |
A purely Greek compound Latinized by the terminal -us ending. Nycti- (night, genitive stem of nyx) is the modifier; -dromus (runner) is the head noun. The connecting vowel -i- links the two Greek roots in a classical compound. The whole word functions as a masculine Latin nominative singular genus name, meaning 'night-runner', in apposition to no epithet here as only the genus is given.
Pronunciation
- NIC-tih-droh-mus Antepenult default: the penult vowel (o in -dro-) is short and followed by only one consonant (m), so it is light; stress therefore falls on the antepenult syllable (nyct-).
Other readings
A minority segmentation could read nycter-i-dromus (bat-runner), borrowing from nycter- meaning 'a bat', but the dictionary form nyc,-t,-ti,-to (night) is the better and more standard match for the nycti- combining form.
Nyctidromus albicollis (the Common Pauraque) is the type species; the genus belongs to the nightjar family Caprimulgidae. The -ct- cluster is pronounced in full (both letters sounded) as it occurs in the middle of the word, not at the initial position where the first letter would be silent. The final -us is a standard Latin nominative masculine ending applied to a Greek-root compound, a common convention in Latinized scientific names.