Tichodroma
tih-KOH-dro-muh
Genus
one that runs on walls
Literally: wall-runner
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ticho- | a wall | Greek (tich, -o) | combining form with connecting vowel -o- |
| -droma | run; running; a race | Greek (drom, -a, -ae, -aeo, -i, -o, =us) | here used as a terminal element meaning 'runner' |
A single-word genus name formed from two Greek combining forms. 'Ticho-' (wall) + '-droma' (runner) function together as a descriptive compound noun, treated as feminine in Latin (ending -a). The name alludes to the Wallcreeper's habit of creeping and running across vertical rock faces and walls.
Pronunciation
- tih-KOH-dro-muh Four syllables: tih-KOH-dro-muh. Penult 'dro' has a short vowel followed by a single consonant (m), so stress falls on the antepenult 'cho' by the default antepenult rule.
Other readings
A minority reading could split tich-hod-roma, invoking hod- (path/way), but this is forced and the tich-o-drom split is clearly the intended and natural division.
Tichodroma muraria (the Wallcreeper) is the sole species in this genus; the name perfectly describes its behaviour of scaling vertical surfaces. The -droma terminal is the same root seen in hippodrome, velodrome, etc.