A Key to the Pronunciation and Meaning of Scientific Names of Popular Species
Part II: Meaning
Henry F. Beechhold
College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey USA
Greek & Latin Roots
In part II of this article, uncertain ascriptions are marked with a "?" But many of these words are ambiguous. No guarantees come with the etymologies!
Theraphosidae (Greek), wild beast, monster + light + taxonomic designation (-idae)
Acanthoscurria (Greek), thorn + (Latin), clownish, -o- (liaison letter, no meaning; applies throughout)
antillensis Antilles + -ensis (Latin suffix, "belonging to")
musculosa (Latin), mouse-like (mus is the source of "muscle," because of appearance)
suina (Latin), swine
Aphonopelma (Greek), silent + (sole of) foot
anax (Greek), irregular (a[n] + ax[on], "off axis")
armada (Latin), armed
behlei (proper name + i)
bicoloratum (Latin), bi-colored
burica (Latin), brownish, reddish (?)
caniceps (Latin), dog-like (?)
chalcodes (Greek), copper, brass, bronze
crinita (Latin), hairy
duplex (Greek), double
eutylenum (Greek), good (eu-) + knob, lump (-tylenum)
hentzi (proper name + i)
heterops (Greek), different, mixed (heter-) + eyes (-ops)
moderatum (Latin), moderate
pallidum (Latin), pallid, ashen
rusticum (Latin), of the country, "countrified"
seemanni (proper name + i)
steindachneri (proper name + i)
vorhiesi (proper name + i)
Avicularia (Latin), small bird (avicula) + "-ary" (-arium, -aria, pertaining to)
caesia (Latin), sky blue
fasciculata (Latin), banded
laeta (Latin), cheerful
metallica (Latin), metallic
minatrix (Latin), threatener
nigrotaeniata (Latin), dark banded
pulchra (Latin), beautiful ("pulchritudinous")
purpurea (Latin), purple
urticans (Latin), having nettles (in fact, barbed hairs)
variegata (Latin), variegated
versicolor (Latin), variegated (lit., changing colors)
Brachypelma (Greek), short + (sole of) foot
albopilosum (Latin), white + hair
angustum (Latin), narrow
auratum (Latin), airiness, glowing (possibly "golden," but properly that would be aureatum)
baumgarteni (proper name + i)
boehmei (proper name + i)
emilia (Latin), rival (?) (or proper name)
epicureanum (Latin from Greek), Epicurus, whose name came to mean "discriminating"
fossorium (Latin), digger
klaasi (proper name + i)
sabulosum (Latin), sandy, gravelly
smithi (proper name + i)
vagans (Latin), wanderer
Ceratogyrus (Latin), horn + curved
bechuanicus (place name: from Bechuanaland)
brachycephalus (Greek), short-headed
darlingi (proper name + i)
Chaetopelma (Greek), bristle, hair + (sole of) foot
olivaceum (Latin), olive (colored)
shabati (proper place name + i)
Chilobrachys (Greek), lip + short
andersoni (proper name + i)
sericeus (Latin), silken
Chromatopelma (Greek), colored + (sole of) foot
cyaneopubescens (Greek), cyan, greenish blue + (Latin), fuzzy, hairy
Citharacanthus (Greek), lute (musical instrument) + thorn(y)
crawshayi (proper name + i)
crinirufus (Latin), hair + red, reddish
longipes (Latin), long + foot
Coremiocnemis (Greek) broom(-like) + shin
validus (Latin), strong
Cyclosternum (Greek), circle, circular + sternum, breastbone
fasciatum (Latin), band, necklace
Cyrtopholis (Greek), bulging, curved + scaly
portoricae (Latin), carry
Ephebopus (Greek), youth (ful) + foot
fossor (Greek), digger
murinus (Latin), mouse-colored
Eucratoscelus (Greek), good + power + leg
longiceps (Latin), long
Eupalaestrus (Greek + Latin), good + wrestler
weijeinberghi (proper name + i)
Hapalopus (Greek), soft + foot
Haplopelma (Greek), single, same + (sole of) foot
albostriatum (Latin), white + striped
lividum (Latin), blue
minax (Latin), threatening
Harpactira (Greek), plunderer
atra (Latin), black
Heteroscodra (Greek), different + shield, escutcheon (?), possibly "hair"
crassipes (Latin), thick + foot
maculata (Latin), spotted, marked
Heterothele (Greek), different + nipple. Should this be -sthele, "strength," "energy"(?)
villosella (Latin), shaggy, hairy + seat (Or a proper name)
Hysterocrates (Greek), womb + strong
gigas (Greek), giant
hercules (Greek, Latin), Herculean
laticeps (Latin), broad, wide + septum, division
robustus (Latin), robust
Iridopelma (Latin + Greek), rainbow (iridescence) + (sole of) foot
hirsuta (Latin), rough, shaggy, hairy
zorodes (Greek), live + rosy, pink
Ischnocolus (Greek), restrain(ed) + inhabitant
hancocki (proper name + i)
Lampropelma (Greek), bright, shiny + (sole of) foot
violaceopedes (Latin), purple + feet
Lasiodora (Greek), shaggy + hide, skin
difficilis (Latin), difficult, troublesome
erythrocithara (Greek), red + zither, lyre (?)
parahybana (probably derived from place name)
Megaphobema (Greek), large + fearsome
peterklaasi (proper name + i)
robustum (Latin), robust
velvetosoma (Latin + Greek), shaggy hair + body
Metriopelma (Greek), moderate (from "measure") + (sole of) foot
zebrata (Latin), zebra-like (but see "horse" and "fierce")
Nhandu (Probably from a place name)
carapoensis (Probably from place name)
Ornithoctonus (Greek), bird + comb
Pamphobeteus (Greek), all + beet-colored
antinous (Greek) From mythical youth known for his beauty(?)
fortis (Latin), strong, vigorous
insignis (Latin), notable, distinguished by a mark
nigricolor (Latin), black, dark, dusky + color
ornatus (Latin), ornate
Paraphysa (Latin + Greek), in front of + bellows
manicata (Latin) long-sleeved
scrofa (Latin), sow
Phoneyusa (Greek), sound + (?)
rutilata (Latin), reddish yellow, golden
Phormictopus (Greek), thief(?) + place
cancerides (Latin, Greek), hard (as crab shell)
cubensis (Latin, Greek), cubic (Possibly intended for Cuba?)
nesiotes (Greek), islander
Phrixotrichus (Greek), fright(?) + hair ("scary hairy?")
actaeon (Greek), Greek mythological hunter
alticeps (Latin), high + septum, division
burzaquensis (Place name, from Burzaque ?)
cala (Latin), cunning, sly (?)
grossa (Latin), large, thick, coarse
iheringi (proper name + i)
mollicoma (Latin), soft + hair
spatulata (Latin), spatulate
Plesiopelma (Greek), near, close + (sole of) foot
longisternale (Latin), long + sternum
Poecilotheria (Latin + Greek), colored + beast
bara (Latin (?)), voracious (?)
fasciata (Latin), banded
formosa (Latin), beautiful, finely formed
metallica (Latin), metallic
miranda Latin), wonderful
ornata (Latin), ornate
regalis (Latin), kingly, regal
rufilata (Latin), rufus, reddish
striata (Latin), striated, striped
subfusca (Latin), brownish
Psalmopoeus (Greek), song + create
cambridgei (proper name + i)
reduncus (Latin), bent, curved back
Pseudotheraphosa (Greek), false + beast + light
apophysis (Greek), swelling (tibial spurs)
Pterinochilus (Greek), wing, feather + lip, gill
affinis (Latin), adjoining, bordering
constrictus (Latin), constrained
hindei (proper name + i)
meridionalis (Latin), southerly
sjoestedti (proper name + i)
spinifer (Latin), spiny, thorny
vorax (Latin), voracious, greedy
widenmanni (proper name + i)
Selenocosmia (Greek), brightness + order, ornament, universe
honesta (Latin), honor, beauty, grace
javanensis (place name: from Java)
lanipes (Latin), wool, cotton + foot (If properly langi-, then "long")
lyra (Latin), lyre (shaped?)
strubelli (proper name + i)
sumatrana (place name: from Sumatra)
Sericopelma (Latin + Greek), silken + (sole of) foot
generala (Latin), general, member of a species
immensa (Latin), immense, huge
melanotarsum (Greek), dark + tarsus (ankle)
Sphaerobothria (Greek), sphere + trough
hoffmanni (proper name + i)
Stromatopelma (Greek), covered + (sole of) foot
calceatum (Latin), having shoes
griseipes (Latin), gray + foot
Tapinauchenius (Greek), low + neck
plumipes (Latin), feather + foot
Theraphosa (Greek), beast + light
blondi (Latin, possibly Germanic), blond, golden, flaxen
Vitalius (Latin), vital, alive
cesteri (Latin), girdle, belt (?)
platyomma (Greek), broad, flat + eye(s)
roseus (Latin), rose-colored
sorocabae (? Many options on this one, a place name?)
Xenesthis (Greek), stranger + strong
immanis (Latin), enormous, monstrous, frightful
monstrosa (Latin), monstrous
Androctonus (Greek), male, strength + comb
australis (Greek), southern
Buthus (Greek), bottom of the sea (?)
occitanus (?) (Several options)
Centruroides (Greek), center, sharp point, spiny
exilicauda (Latin), thin + tail
gracilis (Latin), thin, unadorned
testaceus (Latin), tile-like
Hottenttota (from "Hottentot")
judaica (Latin), Jewish, Israeli
Isometrus (Greek), single, uniform + measure
maculatus (Latin), spotted, blotched, stained
Leiurus (Greek), smooth(?) + tail
quinquestriatus (Latin), five + striated
Diplocentrus (Greek), double + sharp point (spine)
Hadogenes (Greek), Hades(?) + born of (hellborn?) (if properly Hadr-, then "thick")
Lioscheles (Greek), smooth + rib
Opisthacanthus (Greek), behind + thorn, spine
asper (Latin), rough (also "white" from same root)
Anuroctonus (Greek), without tail + comb
phaiodactylus (Greek), dark, dusky + digit (i.e., finger, toe)
Hadrurus (Greek), thick, bulky + tail ("the tail from hell?")
arizonensis (place name: from Arizona)
pallidus (Latin), pale, yellowish
spadix (Latin, Greek), pull, tear
Heterometrus (Greek), other, unlike + measure (or "mother")
longimanus (Latin), broad, long + hand
Pandinus (Latin), curved
cavimanus (Latin), cavity, hollow place + hand
imperator (Latin), emperor
Scorpio (Greek), scrape, Skorpios (place name)
maurus (Latin from Berber), Moor, Moorish (dark?)
Paruroctonus (Latin + Greek), adorned + comb
becki (proper name + i)
boreus (Latin), northern
gracilior (Latin), simple, unadorned, thin
luteolus (Latin), yellow
mesaensis (Spanish from Latin), mesa (= from the mesa)
sylvestrii (proper name + i)
utahensis (place name: from Utah)
Serradigitus (Latin), serrated + digit (i.e., finger, toe)
Vaejovis (Latin), very + jovial (after Jove, Jupiter?)
carolinianus (place name: from Carolina)
coahuilae (place name: from Coahuila)
confusus (Latin), mixed
spinigerus (Latin), spiny
Uroctonus (Greek), tail + comb (Latin uro means "burn," "inflame")
mordax (Latin), sharp, stinging
Mastigoproctus (Greek) whip + anus, rear
giganteus (Greek), gigantic
Dr. Beechhold is the Pronunciation Editor of the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms and the Mc-Graw Hill Dictionary of Bioscience, as well as a professor of English at the College of New Jersey in Ewing, New Jersey, not Trenton, as we misstated in Part I.