The meaning of one mysterious "catharina"? (1 Viewer)

[Björn Bergenholtz]

I´m trying to figure out the "catharina" in "Myiopsitta catharina" BONAPARTE 1857 [= Synonymous with Barred Parakeet Bolborhynchus lineola CASSIN 1853 (as "Psittacula lineola") a k a "Catherine Parakeet"] …

As I understand it this name, in this particular case, is not an eponym (after someones personal name, which is easy to belive) … but a combined autochthonym (of an indigenous, native name) and a morphonym (of a morphological character)!

This, the former, Parakeet was described by Bonaparte in 1857, by the name "Myriopsitta catharina" with the explicit declaration (excerpt attached):

"Le nom spécifique que jʼimpose à cette dernière a le double avantage de rappeler le nom vulgaire catarinita quʼelle porte au Mexique, et le caractère principal de la pureté, de la netteté de ses flancs."

Can any of you guys out there, knowing French, please explain what it means.

And if anyone would translate this quote I´ll get even happier!? If so, please as accurate as possible, as I would like to quote it myself in Swedish. And don´t hesitate to remark on any errors that I might have done transcribing it.

Anyone feel up to it?

PS. Not to be confused with any different women named Catharina alt. Catherine, or the Brazilian state with the same name, that might be the reason for several other "catharina's"

 

[l_raty]

"Le nom spécifique que jʼimpose à cette dernière a le double avantage de rappeler le nom vulgaire catarinita quʼelle porte au Mexique, et le caractère principal de la pureté, de la netteté de ses flancs."

"The species name that I impose on the latter presents the double advantage to recall the common name catarinita that it bears in Mexico, and the main character of purity, of neatness of its flanks."

Greek καθάρος, ά, όν, (katharos, -a, -on) = clean, neat, pure, spotless.

 

[njlarsen]

So just for fun: which Catarina gave rise to the Mexican local name :-O :-O

Niels

 

[l_raty]

Not sure, but the origin seems to be Spanish (rather than just Mexican), where the word was used for parakeets/parrots.
Catarinita, Catalinica, Catalnica, Cata, Catita are all variants of a same thing (all diminutives of Catalina).
Catita is still nowadays "officially" used for a range of parakeets (Psilopsiagon, Bolborhynchus and Brotogeris spp.), and unofficially for many others--see eg. [here].

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Thank you!

Laurent, once again, for that translation. Well done.

And an extra thanks for looking into the "Catarinita, Catalinica, Catalnica, Cata, Catita"-matter.

This is sufficient enough for me.

catharina ... over and out!