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Glite Dictionary
Psittacus erithacus

Psittacus erithacus

9.3
A large grey African parrot that is very intelligent and can copy human speech
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Psittacus erithacus
  • The Psittacus erithacus is highly regarded for its remarkable ability to mimic human speech.

Examples

  • Many experts consider the Psittacus erithacus to be among the most intelligent of all bird species.

  • Many people choose to keep a Psittacus erithacus as a pet.

  • Conservation efforts are underway to protect wild populations of Psittacus erithacus in Africa.

  • The Psittacus erithacus is famous for its ability to mimic human speech.

  • Many experts consider the Psittacus erithacus to be among the most intelligent of all bird species.

  • The Psittacus erithacus is highly regarded for its remarkable ability to mimic human speech.

  • Many people choose to keep a Psittacus erithacus as a pet.

Synonyms

African gray
vsPsittacus erithacus
  • US
1 5.2

A medium-sized grey parrot from Africa that is very intelligent and copies human speech

focuses on intelligence and ability to mimic speech rather than physical traits

Surface Forms

Psittacus erithacus singular
Psittaci erithaci plural

Morphology

Psittacus + erithacus

The binomial combines the genus 'Psittacus' (a parrot genus) with a species epithet, so a learner who knows 'Psittacus' can infer this is a species of parrot; taxonomic composition is a recognizable, cross-linguistic pattern. However, the specific sense encoded by 'erithacus' (a Latin/Greek epithet) is not predictable from the surface form and requires prior biological or lexical knowledge, so the transparency is only partial.

Etymology

Psittacus erithacus comes from old words: Psittacus means 'parrot' and erithacus may come from a word for 'red' or 'robin'. So the name points to a parrot with a red tail and helps us remember the African grey parrot, known for being very smart and for copying human speech.