List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names
Latin/Greek Language English Example Search for titles containing the word or using the prefix :
eburneus L eburneus ivory-colored ivory gull , Pagophila eburnea eburneus - eburnea - eburneum
echinatus L prickly , spiny Edisto crayfish , Procambarus echinatus ; shortleaf pine , Pinus echinata echinatus - echinata - echinatum
echino- L echīnus G ἐχῖνος ( ekhînos ) hedgehog , sea-urchin great globe thistle , Echinops sphaerocephalus ; diadema urchin , Echinothrix diadema ; San Pedro cactus , Echinopsis pachanoi All pages with titles beginning with Echino
edulis L edible common cockle , Cerastoderma edule ; king bolete , Boletus edulis ; oyster , Ostrea edulis ; passion fruit , Passiflora edulis edulis - edule
elatior L taller true oxlip , Primula elatior elatior
electro- G ἤλεκτρον ( ḗlektron ) amber , amber-colored or electric ( modern usage ) broad-billed motmot , Electron platyrhynchum ; electric eel , Electrophorus electricus No simple way to distinguish biological from other uses
elegans L elegant crimson rosella , Platycercus elegans ; Granastyochus elegantissimus ; Iris iberica subsp . elegantissima ; false aralia , Plerandra elegantissima ; Caecum elegantissimum elegans - elegantissimus - elegantissima - elegantissimum
emarginatus L having no edges Phongolo suckermouth , Chiloglanis emarginatus ; Gibraltar sea lavender , Limonium emarginatum ; acerola , Malpighia emarginata ; bitter cherry , Prunus emarginata emarginatus - emarginata - emarginatum
enanti- G ἐναντίος ( enantíos ) opposite , against Enantiornithes All pages with titles beginning with Enantio
ennea- G ἐννέα ( ennéa ) nine banded sunfish Enneacanthus obesus ; scurvy-grass sorrel , Oxalis enneaphylla All pages with titles beginning with Ennea
ensatus L sword-like California giant salamander , Dicamptodon ensatus ensatus - ensata - ensatum
ensis , ensi- L sword , lance jackknife clam , Ensis minor ; swordleaf rush , Juncus ensifolius All pages with titles beginning with Ensi - ensiformis
-ensis L of , from ( a place ) Tadarida brasiliensis ( Brazilian free-tailed bat ) ; Lucy , Australopithecus afarensis
erectus L upright Homo erectus ( upright man ) ; upright chickweed , Moenchia erecta erectus - erecta - erectum
erio- G ἔριον ( érion ) wool , woolly common cottongrass , Eriophorum angustifolium All pages with titles beginning with Erio
erosus L indented , jagged , serrated jícama , Pachyrhizus erosus ; serrated hinge-back tortoise , Kinixys erosa erosus - erosa - erosum
erythro- G ἐρυθρός ( eruthrós ) red spotted redshank , Tringa erythropus ; dog's-tooth violet , Erythronium dens-canis All pages with titles beginning with Erythro
esculentus L edible edible frog , Pelophylax kl . esculentus ; Gyromitra esculenta esculentus esculenta esculentum
europaeus L European European hedgehog , Erinaceus europaeus ; European owl moth , Brahmaea europaea europaeus - europaea - europaeum
excelsus L exalted African teak , Milicia excelsa ; excelsior cone , Conus excelsus excelsus - excelsa - excelsum
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This list of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names is intended to help those unfamiliar with classical languages to understand and remember the scientific names of organisms. The binomial nomenclature used for animals and plants is largely derived from Latin and Greek words, as are some of the names used for higher taxa, such as orders and above. At the time when biologist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) published the books that are now accepted as the starting point of binomial nomenclature, Latin was used in Western Europe as the common language of science, and scientific names were in Latin or Greek: Linnaeus continued this practice. Although Latin is now largely unused except by classical scholars, or for certain purposes in botany, medicine and the Roman Catholic Church, it can still be found in scientific names. It is helpful to be able to understand the source of scientific names. Although the Latin names do not always correspond to the current English common names, they are often related, and if their meanings are understood, they are easier to recall. The binomial name often reflects limited knowledge or hearsay about a species at the time it was named. For instance Pan troglodytes, the chimpanzee, and Troglodytes troglodytes, the wren, are not necessarily cave-dwellers. Sometimes a genus name or specific descriptor is simply the Latin or Greek name for the animal (e.g. Canis is Latin for dog). These words may not be included in the table below if they only occur for one or two taxa. Instead, the words listed below are the common adjectives and other modifiers that repeatedly occur in the scientific names of many organisms (in more than one genus).