What is the meaning of the Ancient Greek specific epithet *trochilus*?
Answer
Wren or small songbird
The specific epithet *trochilus* carries historical linguistic significance derived from Ancient Greek. Its established meaning relates to classifications of very small songbirds, frequently associated with the term for a 'wren.' This term was used before the species was standardized under its current scientific name, *Phylloscopus trochilus*. Interestingly, before its modern designation, the Willow Warbler was sometimes grouped with the Chiffchaff and Wood Warbler under the now obsolete common name, 'willow wren,' which echoes the meaning embedded in the specific epithet *trochilus*.
Related Questions
Which naturalist first cataloged the species as *Motacilla trochilus* in 1758?What is the literal meaning of the genus name *Phylloscopus* derived from Ancient Greek words?What geographical region is the breeding ground for the subspecies *P. t. yakutensis*?How is the Willow Warbler's song characterized in contrast to the Chiffchaff's call?What was the initial binomial name given to the species by Carl Linnaeus?Which broader family name was the *Phylloscopidae* family historically subsumed within?What pattern describes the change in plumage color across Willow Warbler subspecies from west to east?Who introduced the genus *Phylloscopus* to which the Willow Warbler now belongs?To which vast order of birds, representing all perching birds, does *P. trochilus* belong?What is the meaning of the Ancient Greek specific epithet *trochilus*?