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class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nom_espec%C3%ADfic" title="Nom específic – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Nom específic" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specia_epiteto_(zoologio)" title="Specia epiteto (zoologio) – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Specia epiteto (zoologio)" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85_%DA%AF%D9%88%D9%86%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C_(%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%B4%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C)" title="نام گونه‌ای (جانورشناسی) – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="نام گونه‌ای (جانورشناسی)" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89pith%C3%A8te_sp%C3%A9cifique" title="Épithète spécifique – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Épithète spécifique" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ga mw-list-item"><a href="https://ga.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainm_speiceasach_(z%C3%B3-eola%C3%ADocht_)" title="Ainm speiceasach (zó-eolaíocht ) – Irish" lang="ga" hreflang="ga" data-title="Ainm speiceasach (zó-eolaíocht )" data-language-autonym="Gaeilge" data-language-local-name="Irish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Gaeilge</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link 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class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specifikus_n%C3%A9v" title="Specifikus név – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Specifikus név" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soortaanduiding" title="Soortaanduiding – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Soortaanduiding" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descritor_espec%C3%ADfico" title="Descritor específico – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Descritor específico" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nume_specific_(zoologie)" title="Nume specific (zoologie) – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Nume specific (zoologie)" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epitet" title="Epitet – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Epitet" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh badge-Q70893996 mw-list-item" title=""><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%A8%AE%E6%9C%AC%E5%90%8D" title="種本名 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="種本名" data-language-autonym="中文" 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class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Term used in zoology</div> <p>In <a href="/wiki/International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature" title="International Code of Zoological Nomenclature">zoological nomenclature</a>, the <b>specific name</b> (also <b>specific epithet</b>, <b>species epithet</b>, or <b>epitheton</b>) is the second part (the second name) within the scientific name of a <a href="/wiki/Species" title="Species">species</a> (a <a href="/wiki/Binomen" class="mw-redirect" title="Binomen">binomen</a>). The first part of the name of a species is the name of the <a href="/wiki/Genus" title="Genus">genus</a> or the generic name. The rules and regulations governing the giving of a new species name are explained in the article <a href="/wiki/Species_description" title="Species description">species description</a>. For example, the scientific name for humans is <i>Homo sapiens</i>, which is the species name, consisting of two names: <i>Homo</i> is the "<a href="/wiki/Name_of_a_biological_genus" class="mw-redirect" title="Name of a biological genus">generic name</a>" (the name of the genus) and <i>sapiens</i> is the "specific name". </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Etymology">Etymology</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Specific_name_(zoology)&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Etymology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Historically, <i>specific name</i> referred to the combination of what are now called the generic and specific names. <a href="/wiki/Carl_Linnaeus" title="Carl Linnaeus">Carl Linnaeus</a>, who formalized <a href="/wiki/Binomial_nomenclature" title="Binomial nomenclature">binomial nomenclature</a>, made explicit distinctions between specific, generic, and trivial names. The generic name was that of the genus, the first in the binomial, the trivial name was the second name in the binomial, and the specific the proper term for the combination of the two. For example the binomial name of the tiger, <i>Panthera tigris</i>:<sup id="cite_ref-Schenk_et_al._(1948)_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Schenk_et_al._(1948)-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ul><li>generic name = <i>Panthera</i></li> <li>trivial name = <i>tigris</i></li> <li>specific name = <i>Panthera tigris</i></li></ul> <p>This was the proper usage from the 18th century into the late 20th century, although many authors seemed to be unaware of the distinctions between trivial and specific names and inconsistent and erroneous usage even appeared in the International Code of Zoölogical Nomenclature.<sup id="cite_ref-Schenk_et_al._(1948)_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Schenk_et_al._(1948)-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="The_grammar_of_species_names">The grammar of species names</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Specific_name_(zoology)&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: The grammar of species names"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Grammatically, a <a href="/wiki/Binomen" class="mw-redirect" title="Binomen">binomen</a> (and a <a href="/wiki/Trinomen" class="mw-redirect" title="Trinomen">trinomen</a>, also) must be treated as if it were a <a href="/wiki/Latin" title="Latin">Latin</a> phrase, no matter which language the words were originally taken from. (This gives some justification to the popular usage of the phrase "Latin name" instead of the more correct phrase "scientific name".) The specific name must adhere to certain conventions of Latin grammar. The specific name can be formed as: </p> <ul><li><b>A noun in <a href="/wiki/Apposition" title="Apposition">apposition</a> to the genus name</b>, for example, the scientific name of the lion, <i><a href="/wiki/Lion" title="Lion">Panthera leo</a></i>. In these cases, the word for the genus and the word for the species do not necessarily have to agree in gender. Species names which are nouns in apposition are sometimes the vernacular name of the organism in Latin or Ancient Greek, or the name (specific or generic) of another organism which the organism itself resembles.</li> <li><b>A noun in the <a href="/wiki/Genitive_case" title="Genitive case">genitive case</a></b> (i.e. belonging to). <ul><li>This is common in parasites: <i><a href="/wiki/Xenos_vesparum" title="Xenos vesparum">Xenos vesparum</a></i> ("Stranger of the wasps").</li> <li>Proper nouns which are names of people and places are often used in the genitive case. For example, the name of the coelacanth, <i><a href="/wiki/Coelacanth" title="Coelacanth">Latimeria chalumnae</a></i> which means "Latimeria of Chalumna", is a reference to the area near the mouth of the <a href="/wiki/Chalumna_River" title="Chalumna River">Chalumna River</a> in the Indian Ocean, where the coelacanth was first found, i.e. its <a href="/wiki/Type_locality_(biology)" class="mw-redirect" title="Type locality (biology)">type locality</a>.</li></ul></li> <li><b>An adjective</b> which must agree in case and gender with the genus: <i><a href="/wiki/Felis_silvestris" class="mw-redirect" title="Felis silvestris">Felis silvestris</a></i> ("the forest cat")</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Differences_from_botany">Differences from botany</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Specific_name_(zoology)&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Differences from botany"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In <a href="/wiki/Botanical_nomenclature" title="Botanical nomenclature">botanical nomenclature</a>, "name" <i>always</i> refers to the <i>whole name</i> (of a species or otherwise), whereas in zoological nomenclature it can refer to either part of the binomen. Thus <i><a href="/wiki/Hedera_helix" title="Hedera helix">Hedera helix</a></i> (common ivy, English ivy) is the name of the species; <i>Hedera</i> is the name of the genus; but <i>helix</i> is called the specific epithet, <i>not</i> the specific name.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Specific_name_(zoology)&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-Schenk_et_al._(1948)-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Schenk_et_al._(1948)_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Schenk_et_al._(1948)_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Schenk, E. T. and J. H. McMasters, (Revised by Keen, A. M. and S. W. Muller). 1948. Procedure in Taxonomy. Stanford University Press. Stanford, California. vii, 93 pp.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFMcNeill,_J.Barrie,_F.R.Buck,_W.R.Demoulin,_V.2012" class="citation book cs1 cs1-prop-long-vol">McNeill, J.; Barrie, F.R.; Buck, W.R.; Demoulin, V.; Greuter, W.; Hawksworth, D.L.; Herendeen, P.S.; Knapp, S.; Marhold, K.; Prado, J.; Prud'homme Van Reine, W.F.; Smith, G.F.; Wiersema, J.H.; Turland, N.J. (2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181225103142/https://www.iapt-taxon.org/nomen/main.php?page=title"><i>International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne Code) adopted by the Eighteenth International Botanical Congress Melbourne, Australia, July 2011</i></a>. Vol. Regnum Vegetabile 154. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag KG. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-87429-425-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-3-87429-425-6"><bdi>978-3-87429-425-6</bdi></a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.iapt-taxon.org/nomen/main.php?page=title">the original</a> on 2018-12-25<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2014-07-28</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=International+Code+of+Nomenclature+for+algae%2C+fungi%2C+and+plants+%28Melbourne+Code%29+adopted+by+the+Eighteenth+International+Botanical+Congress+Melbourne%2C+Australia%2C+July+2011&rft.pub=A.R.G.+Gantner+Verlag+KG&rft.date=2012&rft.isbn=978-3-87429-425-6&rft.au=McNeill%2C+J.&rft.au=Barrie%2C+F.R.&rft.au=Buck%2C+W.R.&rft.au=Demoulin%2C+V.&rft.au=Greuter%2C+W.&rft.au=Hawksworth%2C+D.L.&rft.au=Herendeen%2C+P.S.&rft.au=Knapp%2C+S.&rft.au=Marhold%2C+K.&rft.au=Prado%2C+J.&rft.au=Prud%27homme+Van+Reine%2C+W.F.&rft.au=Smith%2C+G.F.&rft.au=Wiersema%2C+J.H.&rft.au=Turland%2C+N.J.&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iapt-taxon.org%2Fnomen%2Fmain.php%3Fpage%3Dtitle&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecific+name+%28zoology%29" class="Z3988"></span> Article 23.1</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Specific_name_(zoology)&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBanks2009" class="citation book cs1">Banks, Nathan (2009). <i>The Entomological Code. a Code of Nomenclature for Use in Entomology</i>. BiblioBazaar. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-113-26677-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-113-26677-4"><bdi>978-1-113-26677-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Entomological+Code.+a+Code+of+Nomenclature+for+Use+in+Entomology&rft.pub=BiblioBazaar&rft.date=2009&rft.isbn=978-1-113-26677-4&rft.aulast=Banks&rft.aufirst=Nathan&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecific+name+%28zoology%29" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMatthewsBowenMatthews2000" class="citation book cs1">Matthews, Janice R.; Bowen, John M.; Matthews, Robert W. (2000). <span class="id-lock-registration" title="Free registration required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/successfulscient0000matt/page/176"><i>Successful scientific writing: a step-by-step guide for the biological and medical sciences</i></a></span>. Cambridge University Press. p. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/successfulscient0000matt/page/176">176</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-521-78962-1" title="Special:BookSources/0-521-78962-1"><bdi>0-521-78962-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Successful+scientific+writing%3A+a+step-by-step+guide+for+the+biological+and+medical+sciences&rft.pages=176&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=2000&rft.isbn=0-521-78962-1&rft.aulast=Matthews&rft.aufirst=Janice+R.&rft.au=Bowen%2C+John+M.&rft.au=Matthews%2C+Robert+W.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fsuccessfulscient0000matt%2Fpage%2F176&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpecific+name+%28zoology%29" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=0" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Specific_name_(zoology)&oldid=1272615991">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Specific_name_(zoology)&oldid=1272615991</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Zoological_nomenclature" title="Category:Zoological nomenclature">Zoological nomenclature</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Epithets" title="Category:Epithets">Epithets</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1:_long_volume_value" title="Category:CS1: long volume value">CS1: long volume value</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_matches_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description matches Wikidata">Short description matches Wikidata</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 29 January 2025, at 14:56<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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