ornitho-comb. form

Etymology: < ancient Greek ὀρνιθο-, combining form (in e.g. ὀρνιθοθήρας bird-catcher, ὀρνιθοϕάγος bird-eating) of ὀρνιθ- , ὄρνις bird, cognate with erne n. Compare post-classical and scientific Latin ornitho- (formations in which are found from at least the second half of the 16th cent.), French ornitho- (in adaptations of Latin and Greek words from at least the mid 17th cent.), and German ornitho- (formations in which are found from at least the end of the 19th cent.).Attested earliest in the second half of the 16th cent. in the post-classical Latin loan ornithogalum n. Formations in English are found sporadically from the second half of the 17th cent., earliest in ornithologist n., and more frequently from the early 19th cent. Chiefly combined with second elements ultimately of Greek origin. N.E.D. (1903) gives the following note on variation of stress in pronunciation: ‘when the primary stress falls on the following element, there must be a secondary stress on ornitho-, which according to the etymology ought to be orˌnītho-, and is so pronounced by most English scholars in learned words; but conformation to ˌorniˈthology, ˌorniˈthologist, has established ˌornĭthoˈlogical (instead of orˌnīthoˈlogical), the analogy of which has introduced ˌornĭtho- into other words in popular use’.