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Glite Dictionary
Progne subis

Progne subis

9.9
A large North American swallow commonly called the purple martin whose males are blue-black
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Progne subis
  • Researchers banded hundreds of Progne subis to study their migratory patterns.

Examples

  • The Progne subis is known for its striking blue-black plumage.

  • Every spring, birdwatchers look forward to the arrival of Progne subis in their gardens.

  • The distinctive song of Progne subis can often be heard near lakes and open fields.

  • Have you ever seen a Progne subis in the wild?

  • Every spring, birdwatchers look forward to the arrival of Progne subis, the purple martin, in their gardens.

  • Researchers banded hundreds of Progne subis to study their migratory patterns during the summer.

  • The distinctive song of Progne subis, a large swallow, can often be heard near lakes and open fields.

Synonyms

purple martin
vsProgne subis
  • Specialized
1 7.6

A large North American swallow with shiny blue-black males and duller females

is the scientific Latin name used in biology for the same species

Surface Forms

Progne subis singular
Progne subis plural

Morphology

Progne + subis

This is a Latin binomial (scientific name) and functions as a taxonomic label rather than a compositional English phrase; 'Progne' is a genus name and 'subis' is not a common English word, so their literal meanings do not yield 'purple martin'. A B1 learner who knows the constituent items would not be able to derive the species meaning, making the expression non-compositional and language-/domain-specific.

Etymology

Progne subis may come from an old Greek story about Procne, a woman who was turned into a 'swallow'. That's why this scientific name is used for a large swallow called the 'purple martin'.