Plectorhyncha
plek-toh-RINK-uh
Genus
plaited bill
Literally: woven/braided snout
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| plect- | twisted, plaited, woven | Greek (plect, plectus) | from Greek plektos/plektron; stem of plekō (to plait/braid) |
| -o- | connecting vowel | ||
| -rhyncha | snout, beak, bill | Greek (rhynch, -o, =us) | terminal form -rhyncha, neuter plural used as genus name; from Greek rhynchos |
A Greek compound noun used as a genus name (neuter gender following the -a ending as a Latinized form). The head is -rhyncha (beak/bill) modified by plecto- (twisted/plaited), yielding 'plaited-beak'. The name refers to the streaked or striated pattern on the bill of the Striated Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata), which resembles woven or braided markings.
Pronunciation
- plek-toh-RINK-uh Antepenult stress: penult vowel 'y' (= short i) is followed by two consonants 'nch', which would normally stress the penult, but the penult here is 'rhyn-' and 'ch' is a single consonant sound /k/, so the penult is short before a single consonant; stress falls on the antepenult 'plec-'... Re-evaluating syllables: plek-to-RINK-a — four syllables; antepenult = 'to', penult = 'rink'. Penult vowel 'i' is short and followed by 'nk' (two consonants), so stress penult: plek-toh-RINK-uh
Other readings
plect- could theoretically derive from plectron (a plectrum or spur), but 'plaited/woven' is the standard reading in ornithological compounds of this form
Plectorhyncha is the accepted genus name for the Striated Honeyeater of Australia (family Meliphagidae). The segment plect- was confirmed in the dictionary under plect/plectus (twisted, plaited). The segment rhynch- was confirmed under rhynch, -o, =us (snout, beak). The terminal -a is a Latinized neuter plural (or feminine singular) ending standard for genus names coined from Greek -rhynchos compounds. Initial 'pl-' is fully pronounced (not subject to the silent-first-letter rule, which applies only to ps-, pt-, ct-, cn-, gn-, mn-); 'rh' in the middle of a word: both letters sounded, giving the 'r' sound (the 'h' is silent in English usage).