Opisthoprora
oh-pis-THO-pro-ruh
Genus
the rearward-facing prow; the prow turned to the rear
Literally: backward prow (of a ship)
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| opistho- | behind, the hind part | Greek (opisth, -i, -o) | combining form opistho-; conveys position at the rear or backward direction |
| prora | the prow of a ship | Greek (pror, =a) | standalone form prora (nominative singular); the forward-projecting beak or bow of a vessel |
A compound Greek noun formed from the combining form opistho- (behind, hind) + prora (prow). Together they describe a prow that faces or points backward. As a genus name it is treated as a feminine Latin noun in the nominative singular. The name alludes to the sharply upturned, recurved bill of the hummingbird Opisthoprora euryptera, which looks like a ship's prow bent backward.
Pronunciation
- oh-pis-THO-pro-ruh Five syllables: oh-pis-THO-pro-ruh. Penult 'pro' has a short vowel (o) followed by only one consonant (r) with no diphthong, so penult-stress conditions are not met. Stress therefore falls on the antepenult 'tho' (third syllable from the end).
Other readings
A minority reading might try to parse pro- (before, forward) + -ora (Latin: mouth), giving 'forward mouth', but the dictionary gives the unambiguous two-part match opistho- + prora as the longest and most consistent segmentation, and the biology supports it.
The definition of pror in the dictionary contains the OCR fragment 'PDppy' in an adjacent entry (opi = poppy juice); the pror entry itself is clean: 'the prow of a ship.' Opisthoprora euryptera (the band-tailed earthcreeper hummingbird) is the only species in this genus; the name vividly captures its distinctively recurved, upswept bill.