Root words and combinations from the Greek and Latin for nematode
names compiled by S. A. Lewis, from
"Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms," by Donald J. Borror,
Mayfield Publishing Company, 1280 Villa Street, Mountain View, California 94041.
Original copyright 1960. Copyright renewed 1988 by Arthur C. Borrer.
Tylenchus - tyl (G.) knob, knot, pad; -ench (G.) spear
Xiphinema - xiph (G.) sword; nema (G.) thread
Longidorus - long (L.) long; doro, dori (G.) sacrificial knife
Trichodorus - trich (G.) hair; doro, dori (G.) sacrificial knife
Criconema - cric (G.) a ring, circle; nema (G.) thread
Mesocriconema - meso (G.) the middle; cric (G.) a ring, circle; nema (G.)
thread
Hemicycliophora- hemi (G.) one-half ; cycl (G.) a circle, wheel; ophi (G.)
snake, serpent
Hemicriconemoides - hemi (G.) one-half; cric (G.) a ring, a circle; nema (G.)
thread; -oid (G.) like, from
Paratylenchus - par, -a (G.) beside, beyond, near; (near or like Tylenchus)
Tylenchorhynchus - tyl (G.) knob, knot, pad; -ench (G.) spear; rynch (G.)
beak, snout
Belonolaimus - bel (G.) a dart, a sting; ono (G.) an ass, a beaker??; laim
(G.) throat/gullet
Dolichodorus - dolich (G.) long; doro (G.) a spear, a hide, a skin, a gift
Rotylenchulus - ro unknown, possibly rota (L.) wheel, revolve; ul (L.) little;
common ending = us, so ulus
Tylenchulus - tyl (G.) knob, knot, pad; -ench (G.) spear; ul (L.) little;
common ending = us, so ulus
Hoplolaimus - hopl (G.) armor, weapons; laim (G.) throat, gullet
Helicotylenchus - helic (G.) a spiral, coil; tyl (G.) knob, knot, pad; -ench
(G.) spear
Scutellonema - scutell, ending -um (L.) a little shield. Roman soldiers had
small round shields. This refers to the round enlarged phasmid that is called
a scutellum.
Pratylenchus - prat (L.) a meadow; tyl (G.) knob, knot, pad-ench (G.) spear
Radopholus - ra - unknown, possibly radi, radius, ray, a spoke; ophi (G.)
a snake; ol (G.) whole, entire
Meloidogyne - meloi (G.) a probe, or mel (G.) a song, a fruit, an apple (round?);
gyn (G.) a female. Another possibility is mel (G) a (round?) fruit; oido (G.)
a swelling, tumor; gyn (G.) a female. In other words, a round female with a
probe, or a round female that produces a tumor.
Heterodera - heter (G.) other, different; der (G.) the neck, the hide, old
Ditylenchus - di, (G.) across, through, separate, apart (different than!);
tyl (G.) knob, knot, pad; -ench (G.) spear
Aphelenchus - aphel (G.) smooth; -ench (G.) spear
Aphelenchoides - aphel (G.) smooth; -ench (G.) spear; -oid (G.) like, form
Bursaphelenchus - burs, = a (L.) a hide, a purse; aphel (G.) smooth; -ench
(G.) spear
