What's the story behind the Tataupa Tinamou? (1 Viewer)

Björn Bergenholtz · Jun 4, 2014

Anyone know the Etymology behind the tataupa in Tataupa Tinamou Crypturellus tataupa TEMMINCK 1815 ...?

As I understand it this name was first noted by the Spanish explorer Félix de Azara as "Ynambú tatáupá" and then applied as a scientific name by Temminck when he, in 1815, described this Tinamou as "TINAMOU TATAUPA Tinamus tataupa" in his: Histoire naturelle générale des Gallinaces/Histoire naturelle générale des pigeons et des gallinaces III pp. 590-593 (Attached).

Since my understanding of French is (to say the least) meager I now wonder if anyone of you guys "out there" (with better understanding of French) can explain if this text tell us anything of its origin, who used this name, exactly what native Indian tribe and is there anything said of its actual meaning? If you could pin-point any certain line, or sentence, (worth a quote) that verify or explain this name I would be even happier?

Anyone feel up to it?

Or does someone already know the true meaning of the Güaraní word tataupá/tatáupá? Does it mean; "yard" "garden", "house", "domestic/tame" or …?

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PS. Does the following senteces from the Tinamou (Discours) Introduction (in the same book, p.544, attached as well) add anything?

"Les Tinamous sont des oiseaux stupides, peu sociables, dont le vol est lourd, peu élevé et de très peu de d?rée, mais en revanche íls courent avec une extrème vitesse. Quelques espèces habitent les pays découvertes et les champs, dʼautres vivent toujours dans lʼépaisseur des forêts."

8669 · Jun 4, 2014

The Merriam Webster Dictionary says it's origin is Portuguese, from Tupi (a South American tribe)

Theo

Richard Klim · Jun 4, 2014

Incidentally, Tataupá is the 'Spanish' name for all native Crypturellus tinamou spp in Argentina and Paraguay...

Crypturellus obsoletus – Tataupá Rojizo
Crypturellus undulatus – Tataupá Listado
Crypturellus parvirostris – Tataupá Chico
Crypturellus tataupa – Tataupá Común

Richard Klim · Jun 4, 2014

Also, see Lévi-Strauss 1996 (The Story of Lynx), p48.

tataupa ... "hearth."

Richard Klim · Jun 4, 2014

...but Britton 2005 (Guaraní Concise Dictionary) gives:

tataupa n. home
tataypy n. hearth, bonfire

Richard Klim · Jun 4, 2014

...also Hudson (Argentine Ornithology):

...approaches houses where it finds cover—hence the Guarani name, which means a bird of the house.

...and Hudson (Birds of La Plata):

...approaches houses where it finds cover — whence the Guarani name which means a domestic bird or of the house.

James Jobling · Jun 4, 2014

"Los Guaranís le llaman Ynambú tatáupá: significa Ynambu del hogar, tal vez aludiendo á que se suele acercar á las casas campestres situadas junto á espesuras" (de Azara, 1802-1805, no. CCCLXVII). ["The Guaranís call it Ynambú tatáupá; meaning Ynambú of the Home, maybe because it usually goes near country houses situated next to forests"]

James Jobling · Jun 4, 2014

Mea culpa. Re #7, for "no. CCCLXVII" read "Vol. III, p. 48, no. CCCXXIX."

nartreb · Jun 5, 2014

From the French:

D'azara, who carefully observed this species in Paraguay, gives the following details:

This bird is called by the Guaranis tataupa which means ynambu of the hearth, perhaps because it usually approaches rural homes adjacent to regions of thick vegetation [literally, "the most covered regions"]. It keeps to woods and forests, and also enters plantings that have tufty bushes or large grasses in which it can hide. It nests on the ground...

[more detail of behaviour and physical description follow.] It looks to me like a fairly direct translation to French of the same Spanish that James Jobling quoted from d'Azara just above me. (The Spanish word "espesuras" would be more like "thickets" in English; I can't think of an easy equivalent in French, so I'm not surprised that Temmink used an unusual phrase there.)

This adds nothing:

"Les Tinamous sont des oiseaux stupides, peu sociables, dont le vol est lourd, peu élevé et de très peu de d?rée, mais en revanche íls courent avec une extrème vitesse. Quelques espèces habitent les pays découvertes et les champs, dʼautres vivent toujours dans lʼépaisseur des forêts."

Tinamous are stupid birds, not very social, whose flight is heavy, low, and of very short duration, but in compensation they can run at extremely high speed. Some species live in open country and fields, others remain always within the thickness of the forests.

karadya · Jun 6, 2014

The original name "Ynambú Tataupa" literally means "the tinamou that ate the fire" (Ynambú= tinamou, tata= fire) and it is related to the guaraní people mythology where this bird was the owner of the fire. At these days they don´t remember the original story but it is easy to imagine these birds emerging from an incidental fire setting the base for this believe.

karadya · Jun 6, 2014

I forgot to tell that Guaraní people has an unique name for almost every species they know, including birds, mammals, plants, etc. Tinamou it is maybe how Temmink heard the word "Ynambú".

James Jobling · Jun 6, 2014

In fact, the English substantive Tinamou (from the French of de Buffon) is based on the Galibi Amerindian (Cayenne) name Tinamú for these birds.
Further to #10 I had also read that in Guaraní folklore/mythology the Tataupa Tinamou was so-called for its red bill, because it had eaten the fire.

Björn Bergenholtz · Jun 7, 2014

Thanks Theo, Richard, James, "nartreb" and "karadya" …

That´s sufficient enough for me, I think – regarding this "homely tinamou" …

If we´re to trust Montoya (1640) and Félix de Azara (1802-1805) and all those later interpreters, I think it´s fair to say that (this is a bit difficult to explain, for me, a Swede not being fluent in English, so be indulgent, and simply try to understand the drift of it):

tataupa: "tataupa" (Montoya), "tatáupá" (de Azara) and "tataupa" (Temminck) derives from the Güaraní (Mbya-guarani, Paraguay) word tataupá (alt. written tatāupā or "simply" tataupa) meaning Home, House, Hearth (the warm fire in the centre of those Indian's homes alt. houses) … and that its intended meaning was something similar to "homely Tinamou" or "unabashed Tinamou" – like a stray "family cat", a "yard dog" or ditto somewhat tame/domestic fowl; "the (Tinamou) that seemingly unconcerned stroll along around the house, close to the hearth".

If no-one have any contradictory views …

tataupa … over and out!

PS. I will not go down different indigenous (however fascinating) mythological paths regarding various bird names. That would, at least, double my text. That´s a totally other book.

James Jobling · Jun 7, 2014

I have amended my Key as follows:
tataupa Güaraní name Ihnambú tataupá fire (mistress) tinamou, for the Tataupá Tinamou, because, in folklore, its red bill indicated that it had eaten fire, of which it was the guardian; ex “Ynambú tatáupá” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 329, who thought that perhaps the name "Hearth Tinamou" (if Spanish hogar is so translated) had been given because it was frequent in thickets near country estates and farms (Crypturellus).

P.S. I am astounded that my Key has suddenly reached such a large audience. I hope everybody remembers that it is a work in progress, and, once I get edit permissions, still subject to corrections and changes (some of which have been heralded on BirdForum).

karadya · Jun 12, 2014

I believe that at some point someone misunderstood the spanish word for fireplace ("hogar") with the spanish word for home (also "hogar"). Guaraní words are often made as a construction of different words (like "automobile"). The Guaraní word for "home" or "house" is "OGA" (sometimes "retá" as "homeland" or "nation"). There are no mention of these words at "tataupa". I saw above that the word "tataypy" is translated as "hearth" and it is right only when is used as "kitchen" or "fireplace" and it is a construction of the word "fire" ("tata" in guarani) and "beginning" or "origin" ("ypy" in guarani).
As I explained before, the word "tataupa" it is also a construction of the word "fire" and it is quite probable that it has an origin within the Guaraní mythology (the "red bill" image (much more vivid in C. parvirostris) may have contributed).

What's the story behind the Tataupa Tinamou? (1 Viewer)

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Björn Bergenholtz

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