Pterocles
TER-oh-kleez
Genus
The celebrated winged one; famed for its wings
Literally: Wing-glory
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pter-o- | a wing; a feather; a fin | Greek (pter, -o, =um) | combining form ptero-; initial p is silent in English pronunciation before t |
| -cles | glory; fame; renown | Greek (cleo, -to) | from Greek kleos; the ending -cles is a standard Greek masculine name-forming suffix (cf. Heracles, Pericles, Sophocles); nominative -s already built into the suffix |
Ptero- (wing, combining form) + -cles (glory, from Greek kleos) form a compound noun following the classical Greek pattern for masculine proper names. The connecting vowel -o- is the standard Greek combining vowel. The name is coined in the style of a Greek heroic proper name and is treated as a masculine noun in Latin binomial nomenclature.
Pronunciation
- TER-oh-kleez Initial pt: p is silent, giving three effective syllables TER-o-cles. Penult vowel -o- is followed by cl (mute + liquid), which by rule does not make the penult heavy; penult is therefore short and light, so stress falls on the ANTEPENULT (TER). Final -es is pronounced 'ease'.
The suffix -cles is not listed as its own entry in the dictionary; it is identified via the root cleo, -to (Greek, 'glory; news'), which underlies all Greek proper names ending in -kles/-cles. Pterocles is the type genus of the sandgrouse family Pteroclidae; the name alludes to the birds' powerful, pointed wings.