Pyrrhura
PURR-yoo-ruh
Genus
the flame-tailed (parrot)
Literally: flame-tailed
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| pyrrh- | flame-colored, tawny-red, reddish-yellow | Greek (pyrrh, -o) | from Greek purrhos (flame-colored); stem pyrrh- |
| -ur- | tail | Greek (ur, -o) | from Greek oura; combining form -uro- |
| -a | feminine singular nominative ending | Latin | gives the genus name grammatical gender: feminine |
The name is a compound of two Greek combining forms, pyrrho- (flame-colored) + oura (tail), with the connecting vowel -o- elided before the vowel of -oura. The Latin nominative -a ending makes it a feminine genus name. It literally describes the brightly colored tails of these parakeets.
Pronunciation
- PURR-yoo-ruh Antepenult stress: the penult vowel (-u-) is short and followed by only one consonant (-r-) before a single final vowel, so stress falls on the antepenult (first syllable). The antepenult vowel 'y' (=Greek upsilon) is short before two consonants (rr), pronounced as short 'u'.
Other readings
Some sources analyze the -ura ending as the full Greek oura (tail) standing without a preceding vowel, giving pyrrh- + oura directly.
Pyrrhura is a genus of small Neotropical parakeets (family Psittacidae), named for their characteristically rufous or reddish tails. The double -rr- reflects the Greek spelling pyrrhos (πυρρός), meaning flame-colored or fiery red. The root pyrrh- is also seen in the name Pyrrhus (the Macedonian king) and in pyrrole (a flame-colored chemical compound). The root ur-/oura (tail) also appears in Anura (frogs, 'without tail'), Brachyura (short-tailed crabs), and Dinosauria-related terms.