Stephanoxis
steff-uh-NOX-iss
Genus
The sharp-crested one; a reference to the pointed or acute crest feathers of the males of this hummingbird genus
Literally: Sharp crown
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| stephan- | A crown | Greek (steph, -ano, =anus, -o) | Combining form stephano-; from Greek stephanos (στέφανος), wreath or crown; the final -o- here serves as the connecting vowel to the next element |
| -o- | Connecting vowel | Standard Greek connector between the two roots | |
| -xis | Sharp, acute; acid | Greek (ox, -a, -i, -y, =ys) | From Greek oxys (ὀξύς); the terminal -s retains the Greek nominative singular ending; written here as -xis after the connecting -o- |
Stephanoxis is a single Greek compound noun formed from stephano- (crown) + connecting vowel -o- + -oxys (sharp), with the nominative singular ending -s retained from Greek. As a genus name it is treated as a Latin-form noun; Bonaparte (1850) used it as feminine. There is no specific epithet to relate grammatically to the genus in this entry.
Pronunciation
- steff-uh-NOX-iss Penult stress Rule 3: the penult vowel o in the syllable nox is directly followed by x, so the penult is stressed.
Other readings
A minority reading could split steph- + ano- + -xis, taking ano- (Greek: up) as a separate element meaning 'upward-pointing sharp [crest]', but the standard and most economical segmentation is stephano- (crown, one unit) + -oxis (sharp).
Stephanoxis is a genus of hummingbirds (family Trochilidae) described by Bonaparte in 1850. The name alludes to the sharp, pointed crest of the males. Both roots (stephano- and oxys) are confirmed in the dictionary. No missing or uncertain roots. The connecting vowel -o- is absorbed into the stephano- combining form, so the join is stephan-o-xis with a single -o-.