Pluvialis
ploo-vee-AY-lis
Genus
rainy one; rain bird
Literally: of or belonging to rain
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| pluvi- | rain | Latin (pluvi, -a) | stem of Latin pluvia (rain, rainfall); the combining form drops the final -a before the suffix |
| -al- | pertaining to, of the nature of, belonging to | Latin (-alis) | adjectival suffix -alis, -ale; here in its full form before the final vowel |
| -is | nominative singular ending of third-declension adjectives (masc./fem.) | Latin | third-declension adjective ending; the full form is pluvialis, pluviale |
Pluvialis is a Latin third-declension adjective (nominative singular masculine/feminine pluvialis, neuter pluviale) used as a genus noun in apposition, treated as a feminine noun following the ICZN convention for genera. It is formed from pluvia (rain) + the adjectival suffix -alis, meaning 'of or belonging to rain.' The name alludes to the old folk belief — recorded as early as Pliny — that plovers (golden plovers and grey/black-bellied plovers are placed here) were especially active or conspicuous before rainstorms, earning them the epithet 'rain birds.'
Pronunciation
- ploo-vee-AY-lis Penult rule 4: the penult syllable '-a-' in '-al-' takes the ending -alis, which is listed as a long-penult ending; stress falls on the penult '-AL-'.
Other readings
Some authorities parse the stem as pluvial- (adjective pluvialis taken as a unit) rather than pluvi- + -al- + -is; the result is the same.
'Pluvia' (rain) was confirmed in the dictionary under the entry 'pluvi, -a'. The suffix -alis was also confirmed in the dictionary. Pluvialis is the genus of golden plovers (e.g. Pluvialis apricaria, Pluvialis dominica) and the grey/black-bellied plover (Pluvialis squatarola), named for their supposed association with rain. The word also survives in English as the adjective 'pluvial' (relating to rain or a rainy period).