latin species names translations? (1 Viewer)

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Roger Bird2

New member

• Jul 12, 2011

• #1

I've tried Latin and Greek dictionaries, but cannot nail down the "opor" part of the Mourning Warbler's scientific name, oporornis philadelphia.

Does anyone know of a reference book or online site that might help?

 

P

prattw

Desert Rat

• Jul 12, 2011

• #2

Roger Bird2 said:

I've tried Latin and Greek dictionaries, but cannot nail down the "opor" part of the Mourning Warbler's scientific name, oporornis philadelphia.

Does anyone know of a reference book or online site that might help?

Click to expand...

Greek, opora, the end of summer, time of fruits, hence, autumn. Oporornis is thus "bird of autumn"

From Edmund C. Jaeger, Sourcebook of biological names and terms, mine is 3rd ed., 1955. My copy was the 3rd printing, 1962, and I think it's still being printed, maybe in a more recent edition, but in any case is available on the used book market. Also look for Donald J. Borror, Dictionary of word roots and combining forms where it's just given as "opor (G) autumn"

Will

 

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fugl

Well-known member

• Jul 12, 2011

• #3

Jobling, James A. A Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names, OUP, 1991, p. 168.

"Oporornis. Gr. opora, autumn. . . .(T)hese migrant. . .warblers are said to be more common in the . . .fall than in the spring"

 

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fugl

Well-known member

• Jul 12, 2011

• #4

Also--
Choate, Ernest A., The Dictionary of American Bird Names, Harvard Common Press, Boston, Mass, 1985 (2nd, rev. ed), p.139.

“Gr. opera (sic!), “’end of summer’”