Tyto
TIE-toe
Genus
Simply "owl" — one of the most direct of all bird genus names, applied to the barn owls and their closest relatives.
Literally: Owl
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyto | an owl | Greek (=tyto, -n) | Greek neuter noun, stem tyton-; treated as feminine in Latin nomenclatural convention |
Tyto is a single unmodified Greek noun used directly as the genus name. There is no combining vowel, suffix, or modifier. The Greek word τυτώ (tytō) referred to an owl. Established by Billberg in 1828 for the barn owl (Tyto alba) and its relatives.
Pronunciation
- TIE-toe Penult stress, Rule 1: the word has only two syllables.
The root =tyto, -n is confirmed in the dictionary as Greek, meaning 'an owl'.