RFI Glareola

Thanks to you all - Clive, Reid, Andy, Wim, Tom - What a great response! And on the weekend, too.

        Of COURSE it's 'of the Maldives'. How come I didn't think of that! I was looking for a Latin derivation, and all I could deduce was something like 'evilly various', which seemed mysterious for the bird... But now I do wonder if this was how the Maldives themselves were named (perhaps an explorer found the waters around his ship there to be treacherous, or some such...?).

Thanks again.

Judith.

> According to Jobling in 'A Dictionary of
> Scientific Bird Names' -
> maldivarum - After the Maldive Islands (Dihevi Raajje), Indian
> Ocean.
>
>  wrote:
> > Does anyone know the meaning of the word
> > 'maldivarum'? (Oriental Pratincole's scientific species name). I've
> > trawled the internet - can't find anything at all...
> >
> > Thank you.
> > Judith.

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Judith L-A
S-E Qld
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