Yungipicus
yun-JI-pi-kus
Genus
the wryneck-like woodpecker (a woodpecker allied to the wrynecks)
Literally: wryneck woodpecker
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yungi- | the wryneck (Jynx) | New Latin (yun, -g, =x) | combining form yung- used as first element; the wryneck genus Yunx/Jynx was long seen as a link between woodpeckers and passerines |
| -i- | connecting vowel | Latin connecting vowel joining the two noun stems | |
| -picus | woodpecker; also the name of the Latin deity Picus associated with woodpeckers | New Latin / Latin | used as a suffix in many woodpecker genus names; derived from Latin picus 'woodpecker' |
Yungipicus is a compound genus name formed from two noun stems joined by the connecting vowel -i-. The first element, Yungi-, refers to the wryneck genus Yunx; the second, -picus, is the standard Latin/New Latin suffix for woodpecker genera. The whole word functions as a Latin masculine nominative singular noun serving as the genus name.
Pronunciation
- yun-JI-pi-kus Four syllables: yun-gi-pi-cus. Penult 'pi' has a short vowel followed by a single consonant, so the antepenult rule applies. Antepenult 'gi' receives stress. G before i = 'j' by the soft-g rule. Final c before u = 'k'.
Other readings
One could read -ic- as the Greek suffix meaning 'pertaining to' + -us (Latin ending), giving 'pertaining to the wryneck', but the cleaner and well-precedented reading is Yungi- + -picus (woodpecker).
The genus Yungipicus (Bonaparte, 1854) groups small pygmy woodpeckers; the name reflects the morphological similarity of these birds to the wrynecks (Jynx). The dictionary entry spells the root 'yun, -g' and gives the nominative form as =x (i.e., Yunx), confirming that 'Yungi-' is the combining stem of Yunx, the wryneck genus.