tautonym

American  

[taw-tuh-nim] / ˈtɔ tə nɪm /

noun

Biology.

1. a scientific name in which the generic and the specific names are the same, as Chloris chloris (the greenfinch).

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tautonym British  

/ tɔːˈtɒnɪməs, ˈtɔːtənɪm /

noun

1. biology a taxonomic name in which the generic and specific components are the same, as in Rattus rattus (black rat)

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Other Word Forms

• tautonymic adjective
• tautonymous adjective
• tautonymy noun

Etymology

Origin of tautonym

First recorded in 1895–1900; taut(o)- + -onym

Explanation

A tautonym is an animal's scientific name which is composed of two identical words, like Bison bison, which is the way scientists refer to the American buffalo. Botanists aren't allowed to name newly discovered species using tautonyms; they have to use two different words for the genus and specific epithet. Zoologists, on the other hand, have plenty of tautonyms in their repertoire, including Rattus rattus, the black rat, and Iguana iguana, the common green iguana. Tautonyms are coined using Latin or Greek words. The term tautonym itself is from Greek roots tauto, "the same" and -onym, "name."