Micropterus Dolomieu
/ˌmaɪkroʊˈtɛrəs ˌdɒləˈmjuːaɪ/noun
The scientific name of the smallmouth bass, a freshwater fish native to central and eastern North America.
Did you know?The second name honors Déodat de Dolomieu, the geologist whose name also gave the Dolomite mountains and the mineral dolomite their names.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meiǵ-
“Small or diminished; a proposed ancestral source behind Greek mikros.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μικρός (mikrós)
“Small or little.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πτερόν (pterón)
“Wing, feather, or fin.”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Micropterus
““Small-winged,” referring to the fish’s relatively small fin structure.”
1802
Scientific Latin
dolomieu
“A commemorative species name honoring Déodat de Dolomieu.”
Modern English
English
Micropterus dolomieu
“The binomial scientific name of the smallmouth bass, formally authored by Bernard Germain de Lacépède.”
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