Treron
TREER-on
Genus
the timid (bird)
Literally: the shy one
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treron | shy | Greek (trero, -no) | Root trero- with combining form -no-; the stem consonant -n- doubles as the Greek masculine noun-forming suffix -ōn, giving 'the shy one' as a nominative singular masculine noun |
Single-word genus name. The Greek root trero- ('shy') takes the masculine noun-forming suffix -ōn (visible in the dictionary's combining form -no), producing a standalone Greek masculine noun Trerōn, 'the shy one'. It is treated as a Latin masculine nominative singular noun under the ICZN, as required for genus names. No species epithet is present.
Pronunciation
- TREER-on Two-syllable rule: stress always falls on the penult in a two-syllable word; penult vowel e is long, giving TREER.
Commonly: TREH-ron (penult e treated as short; widely heard in English ornithological usage)
The dictionary entry 'trero, -no' confirms both the base form trero- and the combining form trerono-, consistent with the Greek stem treron- underlying this genus name. Treron Swainson, 1827 is a genus of green pigeons (family Columbidae), distributed across Africa and Asia; the name alludes to the birds' famously wary, cryptic behaviour.