Pomatostomus
poh-mat-OH-sto-mus
Genus
covered mouth — referring to the operculate (lid-like) flap over the nostrils near the mouth
Literally: lid-mouth
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| pomat- | a lid, cover | Greek (poma, -to) | combining form pomato-; the final -o- merges with the connecting vowel before stom- |
| -o- | connecting vowel | ||
| -stom- | a mouth | Greek (stom, =a, -ato, -o) | combining form stomo- |
| -us | Latin nominative singular masculine ending | Latin | standard genus termination under ICZN |
A Greek compound noun Latinized as a masculine second-declension genus name. The head is stom- (mouth) modified by pomat- (lid, cover): literally 'the lidded mouth.' The name alludes to the partly operculate (flap-covered) nostrils situated close to the bill base in these Australian babblers (family Pomatostomidae).
Pronunciation
- poh-mat-OH-sto-mus Five syllables: po-mat-o-sto-mus. Penult is 'sto': vowel o followed by a single consonant m — short penult, so stress falls on the antepenult, which is the connecting vowel syllable 'o' (syllable 3).
Commonly: Many ornithologists say poh-MAT-oh-sto-mus, shifting stress one syllable earlier by analogy with the perceived boundary between the two roots.
Other readings
A minority reading could take pom- (Latin, apple/fruit) + -ato- + stomus, but the Greek lid-cover reading (poma, -to) is both etymologically cleaner and biologically motivated, so it is strongly preferred.
The genus Pomatostomus (Cabanis, 1850) comprises the Australasian babblers; the name describes the distinctive partly covered nostril opening. The Latin root pom- (apple) at position 0–3 is a coincidental overlap and does not apply here. The suffix -us is listed in the dictionary both as a Latin nominative ending and as a Greek structural suffix; in genus names the Latin reading applies.