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Porzana porzana

Porzana porzana

9.9
A small marsh bird with brown spots that hides in reeds
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Porzana porzana
  • The distinctive call of the Porzana porzana can be heard at dusk in European reed beds.

Examples

  • The Porzana porzana is rarely seen due to its secretive habits in dense wetland vegetation.

  • Birdwatchers were excited to spot a Porzana porzana during their survey of the marsh.

  • The Porzana porzana is often found in wetlands.

  • Have you ever spotted a Porzana porzana in the marsh?

  • Birdwatchers were excited to spot a Porzana porzana during their survey of the marsh.

  • The Porzana porzana is rarely seen due to its secretive habits in dense wetland vegetation.

  • The distinctive call of the Porzana porzana can be heard at dusk in European reed beds.

Synonyms

spotted crake
vsPorzana porzana
  • UK
9.9

A small brown water bird with spots that lives in swamps and marshes

is the scientific name used in formal scientific contexts

Surface Forms

Morphology

Porzana + Porzana

Both constituents are identical and explicitly defined as 'small birds known as spotted crakes', so the compound name directly denotes that bird. As a taxonomic binomial built from the constituent lexical item rather than an idiomatic phrase, its meaning is compositional and therefore immediately accessible to a learner who knows the constituent.

Etymology

Porzana porzana may come from an old local word porzana for small marsh rails. When that word was turned into a Latin name people repeated it, so the repeating name helps us remember this little marsh bird that hides in reeds, the 'spotted crake'.