Sturnus
STUR-nus
Genus
The starling — a genus named directly from the classical Latin word for a starling.
Literally: A starling
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sturn- | a starling | Latin (sturn, -i, =us) | stem of the Latin second-declension masculine noun |
| -us | Latin nominative singular ending, masculine gender | Latin | marks the word as a 2nd-declension masculine noun in the nominative; the full form sturnus is itself the classical Latin word |
Sturnus is an uninomial genus name consisting of the Latin noun sturnus (starling) used in its standard nominative singular form. There is no specific epithet; the genus name stands alone. Being a classical Latin noun adopted directly into scientific nomenclature, it is treated as masculine and declines as a second-declension noun (genitive sturni).
Pronunciation
- STUR-nus Two-syllable rule: stress always falls on the penult (= only the first syllable here, the penult of a two-syllable word).
The word sturnus is itself the complete classical Latin noun; sturn- is merely the stem exposed when the nominative ending -us is stripped. The genus was established by Linnaeus (1758) for the Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris).