Rhipidura
rih-pid-YOU-ruh
Genus
the fan-tailed (bird); the one with a tail like a fan
Literally: fan-tail
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhipid- | a fan | Greek (rhipi, -do, =s) | The full Greek stem is rhipid- (genitive/oblique stem of rhipis, 'a fan'); the combining form rhipido- loses its final -o- before a vowel-initial suffix |
| -ura | the tail | Greek (ur, =a, -o) | Standalone form -ura (= oura); feminine noun used here as the terminal element, giving the whole compound feminine gender |
A pure Greek compound: the oblique stem rhipid- ('fan') is joined directly to -ura ('tail'), with the stem-final -d abutting the vowel-initial suffix so no connecting vowel is needed. The whole word functions as a single feminine noun used as a genus name (treated as Latin feminine in nomenclature). There is no separate specific epithet here — Rhipidura is the genus alone.
Pronunciation
- rih-pid-YOU-ruh Penult stress: the penult vowel is 'u', and the rule specifies that most penults whose vowel is u are stressed on the penult (rule 4). The initial 'Rh-' is pronounced as plain 'r' (the h is silent in English, as in rhetoric).
Commonly: rih-PID-yoo-ruh (identical stress; sometimes heard with a very light secondary stress on the first syllable: RIH-pid-you-ruh)
Other readings
One could theoretically read 'rhipi-d-ura' with -d- as a connecting consonant rather than part of the stem, but the Greek oblique stem rhipid- is well established and the former reading is far preferable.
Rhipidura is a large genus of small passerine birds (fantails, family Rhipiduridae) found across southern Asia and Australasia. The name is an exact description of their most conspicuous behaviour: fanning and wagging their long tails. The Greek source word is ῥιπίς (rhipís), genitive ῥιπίδος (rhipídos), meaning 'a fan' (related to ῥίπτω, 'to throw/fan'). The oblique stem rhipid- is the standard combining form. 'Rh-' at the start of a word (from Greek ῥ, rho with rough breathing) is rendered as plain 'r' in English pronunciation; no consonant is doubled or aspirated in normal usage.