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We must to think that there was many ways to
compose a taxonomic name. The litteral interpretation is not the only possible.
In these names the word "raptor" lost its original meaning, and turned into "a
dromeosaur, or dromeosaur-like creature". There were a lot of
examples: LESTES (that is a good Greel translation of raptor) were usual in
names of little mammals; TYRANNUS lost his adjectival use and became a word for
"tyrannosaurid"; CYON "dog" is used for carnivoral mammals that were not dogs,
etc
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2001 10:22
PM
Subject: Re: New issue of JVP 2001(2) (no
JOKE)
In a message dated
7/12/01 9:54:24 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
qilongia@yahoo.com writes:
*Oviraptor* = snatcher of eggs
*Conchoraptor* =
snatcher of shells
*Velociraptor* = snatcher of swift[ness]
*Utahraptor* = snatcher of [a/the] Utah [as if there was an
object called a Utah that could be grasped between the limbs]
*Bambiraptor* = snatcher of Bambi [not _ever_ in reference to
the Disney character, or the Italian word "bambino", but as a
nickname for the specimen]
*Rapator* [probably? a "revision"
of _raptor_] = snatcher?
*Eoraptor* = snatcher of the dawn
*Variraptor* = snather of [a/the] Var [same as Utahraptor]
*Pyroraptor* = snatcher of fir e
I'm afraid
I'm going to have to disagree with Jaime on this one. Yes, the
first
part of a compound containing a deverbal (word derived from a verbal
root)
is often construed as the object of the verb, but this is not always so.
Think of a phrase like "Boston strangler". The entity referred
to here is
not one who strangles Boston, but to someone who strangles
[someone or
something] who also happens to be associated with Boston.
To the best of my knowledge, compounds of this sort are/were also
possible in
Latin and Ancient Greek. This is the sort of model on
which *Velociraptor*,
*Utahraptor*, *Bambiraptor*, etc., are formed.
--Nick P.
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