Prioniturus
prih-oh-nih-TOO-rus
Genus
the saw-tailed one; named for the elongated, spatula-like central tail feathers of these racquet-tailed parrots
Literally: saw-tailed
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| prion- | a saw | Greek (prion, -o) | combining form priono-; here reduced to prioni- before the following element |
| -i- | connecting vowel | standard Greek combining vowel -i- linking two roots | |
| -t- | euphonic consonant | inserted to avoid hiatus before -urus; a well-attested New Latin device before -urus when the preceding element ends in a vowel | |
| -ur- | the tail | Greek (ur, =a, -o) | from Greek oura; appears as -urus in New Latin genus names meaning '-tailed' |
| -us | Latin nominative singular masculine ending; also Greek 'structure' | Latin / Greek | standard masculine genus termination under the ICZN |
Prioniturus is a monomial genus name, a New Latin compound adjective-noun treated as masculine. It is built from the Greek noun prion (saw) joined by connecting -i- to Greek oura (tail), with a euphonic -t- inserted before the -urus suffix, yielding 'saw-tailed.' The name alludes to the distinctive elongated, racquet-shaped central tail feathers of these Philippine parrots.
Pronunciation
- prih-oh-nih-TOO-rus Penult rule 4: the penult syllable 'tu' contains the vowel u followed by a single consonant, and most penults with vowel u take penult stress.
Other readings
prion-ites-urus: prion (saw) + -ites (belonging to, resembling) + -ur (tail) + -us, i.e. 'resembling a saw in the tail.' The -it- segment could reflect the Greek adjectival suffix -ites rather than a purely euphonic consonant. Either reading gives essentially the same zoological sense.
The suffix -urus (tailed) is a New Latin coinage from Greek oura (tail); the dictionary lists the root as 'ur, =a, -o' (Greek, 'the tail'). The full suffix -urus is not given as a separate dictionary entry but its use in scientific names is universal. The euphonic -t- before -urus (to avoid a vowel hiatus) is a productive New Latin device; confidence is medium because an alternative is that -it- reflects the Greek suffix -ites ('belonging to, resembling'). Prioniturus Wagler, 1832 comprises the Philippine racquet-tailed parrots, whose uniquely elongated central tail feathers with bare shafts ending in a spatula justify the 'saw/raquet-tailed' etymology.