Aptenodytes forsteri
- noun
- Researchers observed the breeding habits of Aptenodytes forsteri, the emperor penguin, on the sea ice.
Examples
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Young chicks of Aptenodytes forsteri huddle together for warmth.
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The Aptenodytes forsteri can survive in temperatures as low as -60°C during the Antarctic winter.
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Researchers observed the breeding habits of Aptenodytes forsteri on the sea ice.
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The Aptenodytes forsteri is known for its impressive height.
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Have you ever seen an Aptenodytes forsteri in the wild?
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The Aptenodytes forsteri can survive in temperatures as low as -60°C during the harsh Antarctic winter.
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Young chicks of Aptenodytes forsteri huddle together on the ice to stay warm.
Synonyms
A very large penguin from Antarctica that is the largest of all penguins
Surface Forms
Morphology
Aptenodytes + forsteri
This is a Latin binomial (a scientific species name) composed of non‑English proper-name elements—one is a taxonomic genus and the other is not found in the dictionary—so a B1 learner who knows the parts cannot derive the common meaning 'emperor penguin'. While learners might guess it denotes a species, the specific referent is arbitrary and not transparently built from the constituent words, making the expression unpredictable without prior knowledge.
Etymology
Aptenodytes forsteri mixes old Greek word parts and a person's name. The first part, Aptenodytes, paints the image of a bird that 'dives' and cannot fly, and the second part, forsteri, is named after the naturalist Forster, so the whole name points to the large, diving emperor penguin and remembers the person who studied these birds.