Scientific Names

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Another thread discussed the scientific name for a European Wren and I thought an occasional post giving the origin of some scientific names might make them easier to remember or help in identification.
The wren is Troglodytes troglodytes.This comes from the Greek word "troglodytes" (being "trogle" a hole, and "dyein" to creep) giving us "cave-dweller", and refers to the wren's habit of disappearing into crooks and crevices to hunt or roost. Cavemen/early man were often referred to as Troglodytes and if you think about the habits of the wren or even imagine it's cave-like nest Troglodytes troglodytes might come to mind.

The Raven is Corvus corax. Quite simply that's is the Latin for a crow or a raven being Corvus and the Greek for a crow or raven being corax. Neither language had a specific word to distinguish between crow and raven and taxonomy simply took both the Latin and Greek.

Passer Domesticus is the House Sparrow. Both words come from Latin. Passer is from the word for speed and House Sparrows were referred to in ancient Rome as Passer, meaning active birds. Domesticus is as it sounds - related to domestic or a house. I think of them being active and passing me out around the house - Passer domesticus.


Probably boring but if I recall any more meanings behind the names I'll post them up.

Desmo

Crex crex for corncrake is just onomatopoeia ?
I admit that I struggled to spell that and had to get the Boards.ie auto spellchecker to help.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Desmo wrote: »

Crex crex for corncrake is just onomatopoeia ?
I admit that I struggled to spell that and had to get the Boards.ie auto spellchecker to help.

Yes, that one in onomatopoeic. It helps remember a name if you know a call or sound plays a part.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Only because I saw one today. Primroses are Primula vulgaris. An easy one to remember as Primula is so close to Primrose. Primula comes from the Latin Primus meaning first (think of prime as in prime minister) as primula are one of the first flowers of the year. Vulgaris is, as can be guessed, from the Latin for common. So a common early flower is Primula vulgaris.

FBWT

Not a binomial name, but bats are in order Chiroptera which is greek for "Hand Wing"

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

FBWT wrote: »

Not a binomial name, but bats are in order Chiroptera which is greek for "Hand Wing"

And among the bats we have one of the easiest names to remember the Pipistrelle is simply Pipestrellus pipestrellus.

Whereas the Manx Shearwater is completely counter intuitive being Puffinus puffinus. Up to the 17th century they were commonly called Puffins. Being so misleading a scientific name actually makes it easier to remember.

Desmo

Gloria Juicy Mandible wrote: »

And among the bats we have one of the easiest names to remember the Pipistrelle is simply Pipestrellus pipestrellus.

Whereas the Manx Shearwater is completely counter intuitive being Puffinus puffinus. Up to the 17th century they were commonly called Puffins. Being so misleading a scientific name actually makes it easier to remember.

The French for Manxie is Poufin and Macarou is Puffin so I wonder if the latin is spot on and English speakers have screwed up.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Desmo wrote: »

The French for Manxie is Poufin and Macarou is Puffin so I wonder if the latin is spot on and English speakers have screwed up.

At the risk of going off topic, what do the French call a Puffin?

Alun

Gloria Juicy Mandible wrote: »

At the risk of going off topic, what do the French call a Puffin?

Macareux

Desmo

Alun wrote: »

Macareux

That is the correct spelling; I was going from memory and spelled it wrongly.

Desmo

apparently the middle English word for Manx Shearwater was puffin
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/puffin

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Desmo wrote: »

apparently the middle English word for Manx Shearwater was puffin
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/puffin

I did say it was changed in the 17th century.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I mentioned that a Raven was Corvus corax, with Crovus meaning Crow. Some other members of the Corvoids using Corvus are the Jackdaw and the Rook.
Jackdaws are Corvus monedula with monedula coming from the Latin for coin. This was because of the perceived habit of Jackdaws of picking up coins and shiny objects. I remember it by thinking mone=money or spondula as the slang for money.
Rooks are Corvus frugilegous. Frugilegous is latin for food gathering and originates from a word for grain or fruit. Again my aid memoir is fruit gives me fru. Or they are frugal gathering up any food they find.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Keps posted a lovely photo of a Little Grebe this morning.

Tachybaptus ruficollis. Tachybaptus describes the quick diving bird. Tachy for quick (think of a tachometer on a lorry) baptus is diving (think baptism under water). Ruficollis is Red Neck. Rufus or Rufi meaning red are common in names. Collis refers to a stem or neck - I think of it as collar.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

And the shot from Splish of Lesser Celandine, Ficaria verna, reminds me of the origin of it's name. It is also called Fig Buttercup and was once classed as Ranuncula ficaria. Ficaria comes from fig (the houseplant Fig is Ficus) and verna is from Spring (as in the vernal or spring equinox) So Ficaria verna is literally Spring fig.

As an aside Ranuncula refers to Buttercups and is Latin for little frog (rana is a frog) and is thought to have come from the fact that many species of Ranuncula are found near water.

splish

Wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus. The first part of the scientific name is derived from the Greek apo (away from) and demos (home) to distinguish it from the house mouse, which lives in closer association with humans. The second part sylvaticus, is Latin and means "of the woods".

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

splish wrote: »

Wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus. The first part of the scientific name is derived from the Greek apo (away from) and demos (home) to distinguish it from the house mouse, which lives in closer association with humans. The second part sylvaticus, is Latin and means "of the woods".

I remember the wood being sylvaticus because my kids had sylvanian family toys - woodland animals.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Swans were named, it seems, without any great imagination.

Cygnus Olor is the Mute swan. Cygnus (as in cygnet) is simply Latin for swan. Olor is Latin again and just means swan (all be it a poetic usage). So Mute Swan is Swan swan

The Hooper Swan is even less imaginative, if easier to remember, being Cygnus cygnus. Swan swan again!

OpenYourEyes

The scientific name for the Hobby is Falco subbuteo - 'falco' implying it's a falcon, 'subbuteo' being a small (sub) bird of prey (buteo - Common Buzzards are Buteo buteo), due to its small and slim size.

The maker of the old tabletop football game wanted to simply call it 'Hobby' but wasn't allowed, so he called it 'Subbuteo' instead!

OpenYourEyes

While Srameen brings up somewhat unimaginative repitition in scientific names, my favourite is the Western Lowland Gorilla - a subspecies that has the latin name 'Gorilla gorilla gorilla'

The word gorilla is seemingly derived from an African word for a wild/hairy person.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

One I hadn't given much thought to until today is the Badger, or European Badger.

Meles meles - comes from an original but incorrect naming by Pliney the Elder who called it Ursus meles, the little honey-eating bear. Meles refers to honey eating. Think of Mel for honey.
I watched a badger dig out a bumble bee nest last year so I'll always remember bee, honey, mel, meles, Meles meles.

Capercaillie

Águila perdicera (Boneilli's Eagle). Not Latin but Spanish. The translation means the Partridge Eagle. One of the main food source is Red Legged Partridge.

Capercaillie

Banaltra na cuaiche. Irish for Meadow pipit. The direct translation is Cuckoo nurse. In Ireland the main host species for Cuckoo are Meadow Pipits.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Keps posted a nice photo of a Goldcrest today. Regulus regulus, from Rex for king. And we always thought the Wren was the king of the birds.