List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names

The binomial nomenclature used for animals and plants is largely derived from Latin and Greek words, as are some of the names used for higher taxa, such as orders and above.

While learning Latin is now less common, it is still used by classical scholars, and for certain purposes in botany, medicine and the Roman Catholic Church, and it can still be found in scientific names.

Instead, the words listed below are the common adjectives and other modifiers that repeatedly occur in the scientific names of many organisms (in more than one genus).

The second part of a binomial is often a person's name in the genitive case, ending -i (masculine) or -ae (feminine), such as Kaempfer's tody-tyrant, Hemitriccus kaempferi.

dwarf date palm, Phoenix acaulis angled sunbeam (butterfly), Curetis acuta; northern pintail, Anas acuta three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus; butcher's-broom, Ruscus aculeatus African clubhook-squid, Notonykia africanae;pyjama shark, Poroderma africanum;lemon basil, Ocimum × africanum green field-speedwell, Veronica agrestis sharpwing monkeyflower, Mimulus alatus; winged elm, Ulmus alata; winged everlasting, Ammobium alatum; winged loosestrife, Lythrum alatum; winged seahorse, Hippocampus alatus; winged-stem passion flower, Passiflora alata moth, Syngamia albiceps; wood groundling, Parachronistis albiceps; Mexican golden red rump tarantula, Brachypelma albiceps narrowflower lupine, Lupinus angustiflorus narrowleaf cottonwood, Populus angustifolia; narrowleaf sunflower, Helianthus angustifolius sea snail, Vexillum angustissimum gummy shark, Mustelus antarcticus; brown skua, Stercorarius antarcticus golden wattle, Acacia pycnantha; white sage, Salvia apiana water spinach, Ipomoea aquatica;parrot's-feather, Myriophyllum aquaticum, Aloe arborescens; Hydrangea arborescens archo – archus common bearberry, Arctostaphylos silvery lupine, Lupinus argenteus; white mulberry, Pipturus argenteus see also nomina dubia electric (modern usage)