Coturnix coturnix
- proper noun
- Specialized
:
codorniz
- Many conservationists are studying the declining populations of Coturnix coturnix in its native habitats.
Examples
-
The Coturnix coturnix migrates thousands of kilometers between Europe and Africa each year.
-
The Coturnix coturnix migrates south for the winter.
-
Farmers sometimes raise Coturnix coturnix for its eggs and meat.
-
Have you ever seen a Coturnix coturnix in the wild?
-
Farmers sometimes raise Coturnix coturnix for its eggs and meat.
-
Many conservationists are studying the declining populations of Coturnix coturnix in its native habitats.
-
The Coturnix coturnix migrates thousands of kilometers between Europe and Africa each year.
Synonyms
25
4.2
A small round bird with a short tail that lives in fields
A small ground bird that moves long distances at certain times of year
A small brown bird that people hunt and that moves between areas each year
A small bird like a quail that lives in Europe, Asia, and Africa
A small round game bird from Europe, Asia, and Africa
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a literal scientific binomial (genus + species) where both constituents refer to the same bird genus/species; a learner who knows 'Coturnix' as a bird genus and 'coturnix' as the quail species will directly infer it names the common quail. Taxonomic binomials are compositional and follow cross-linguistically familiar naming conventions, so the meaning is predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Coturnix coturnix gets its name from the old Latin word coturnix, which people long ago used for the small quail. Because early scientists kept that old word when they gave the bird its formal name, it now simply means 'the common quail'.