Regulus
REG-yoo-lus
Genus
The little king
Literally: A little king; a small prince
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| reg- | a king; royal | Latin (reg, -al, -i) | stem reg-, seen in rex/regis |
| -ul- | little (diminutive suffix) | Latin (-ul, =a, =e, =um, =us) | diminutive infix -ulus attached to a masculine noun stem |
| -us | Latin nominative singular ending, masculine gender | Latin | marks the word as a masculine nominative noun |
Regulus is a single Latin masculine noun in the nominative singular, formed by attaching the diminutive suffix -ulus to the stem reg- (king). As a genus name it stands alone; no specific epithet is present here. The diminutive gives the sense 'a little king' or 'petty king/prince' — a name applied to these tiny, crown-marked birds (kinglets and firecrests) because of the bright golden or ruby crown patch that resembles a royal diadem.
Pronunciation
- REG-yoo-lus Antepenult stress: the penult vowel 'u' is short and followed by only one consonant (l) before a single following vowel, so stress falls on the antepenult 'Reg-'.
Other readings
No alternative segmentation is warranted; the entry regulus appears whole in the dictionary and the internal analysis (reg- + -ul- + -us) is fully consistent with it.
The word regulus also appears in classical Latin as a title for a petty king or prince, and later in alchemy/chemistry (regulus of a metal = the pure metallic button sinking to the bottom of a crucible — itself considered the 'little king' of the mass). The ornithological genus Regulus Cuvier 1800 applies specifically to kinglets and goldcrests, small passerine birds bearing colourful crown patches.