Meanings
- New ZealandThe takahe, Porphyrio mantelli, a flightless rail native to New Zealand.First known use 19th c.
The weather had been exceptionally severe, and it is supposed that this was how the Notornis came to be found on the flats, having been driven down from the high country.
1881, Walter L. Buller, “On the Notornis”, in Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekνότος“south”
- translingualNotornis“a genus name”
- Englishnotornis
From translingual Notornis (“a genus name”), from Ancient Greek νότος (nótos, “south”) + ὄρνις (órnis, “bird”).
More words from translingual, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
notornis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/notornis
“notornis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/notornis. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “notornis,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/notornis.
Source: notornis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.