Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Gallinula chloropus cachinnans

Gallinula chloropus cachinnans

9.9
A small water bird that lives in North America with dark blue-grey feathers
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Gallinula chloropus cachinnans
  • The Gallinula chloropus cachinnans can be recognized by its distinct dark bluish-grey plumage.

Examples

  • Unlike its Eurasian relatives, the Gallinula chloropus cachinnans is unique to North America.

  • Researchers observed a pair of Gallinula chloropus cachinnans nesting in the wetland reserve.

  • Look at that Gallinula chloropus cachinnans!

  • The Gallinula chloropus cachinnans is often seen near marshy areas.

  • Researchers observed a pair of Gallinula chloropus cachinnans nesting in the wetland reserve.

  • The Gallinula chloropus cachinnans can be recognized by its distinct dark bluish-grey plumage.

  • The Gallinula chloropus cachinnans is often seen near marshy areas.

Synonyms

Florida gallinule
vsGallinula chloropus cachinnans
  • Specialized
8.1

A dark bluish-grey water bird like a moorhen that lives in North American marshes

is the scientific subspecies term used for the same North American bird
moorhen
vsGallinula chloropus cachinnans
8.2

A small black water bird with a red bill and long legs that lives on ponds and lakes

is a narrower term for the North American subspecies with bluish grey plumage

Surface Forms

Gallinula chloropus cachinnans singular

Morphology

Gallinula + chloropus + cachinnans

This is a scientific Latin trinomial: a learner who knows 'Gallinula' (a bird genus) can infer it refers to a bird species, but the Latin epithets 'chloropus' and 'cachinnans' are not meaningful to an average B1 learner and do not transparently convey 'subspecies' or the described plumage. Thus some basic category information (that it is a bird/species) is derivable, but the full, specific meaning is not predictable from the constituents.

Etymology

Gallinula chloropus cachinnans comes from old Latin and Greek words that describe the bird: Gallinula means 'little hen', chloropus means 'green foot', and cachinnans may come from a word meaning 'laughing' because of the bird's loud calls. So the name points to a small, hen-like water bird with greenish legs and a noisy call, which helps remember this North American subspecies.