Turtur
TUR-tur
Genus
The turtledove — a genus name that is simply the classical Latin word for dove, used directly and unchanged.
Literally: A dove
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turtur | A dove (specifically a turtledove) | Latin (=turtur, -i) | Latin noun, 2nd declension masculine/feminine, genitive turturis. The word is onomatopoeic — it imitates the soft cooing purr of the bird. Used here as a standalone genus name in its nominative singular form. |
The genus name is a single Latin noun, nominative singular, taken directly from classical Latin with no modification. As a genus name it is treated as a Latin substantive of indeterminate gender (conventionally feminine for bird genera under ICZN). No species epithet is present in the name as given; when a species epithet is added, it must agree in gender with the genus or stand as a genitive or noun in apposition.
Pronunciation
- TUR-tur Two-syllable rule: a word of only two syllables is always stressed on the penult (first syllable here).
Other readings
No alternative segmentation is possible — the entire word is one indivisible Latin lexeme.
The Latin word turtur is itself onomatopoeic, echoing the purring coo of turtledoves; it is the direct ancestor of the English word 'turtledove' (Old English turtle, from Latin turtur). Turtur is an accepted genus of turtledoves in the family Columbidae, containing Old World species such as the Dusky Turtledove (Turtur afer) and the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove (Turtur chalcospilos). The dictionary entry lists the form =turtur, -i, confirming it is used both as a standalone nominative (turtur) and with the genitive stem turturi-. No author or year was supplied; the genus Turtur was established by Boie, 1826.