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Prodigiosus

Prodigiosus is a Latin adjective meaning prodigious, remarkable, or wonderful. In taxonomy, it is most commonly encountered as a species epithet in zoological and botanical names, where it signals that the describer considered the organism notably striking in size, appearance, or behavior. The epithet has gendered forms: prodigiosus (masculine), prodigiosa (feminine), and prodigiosum (neuter), to agree with the genus name.

The term derives from prodigium, meaning prodigy or omen, with the agentive suffix -osus meaning “full of”

In practice, prodigiosus is not a standalone taxon name; rather, it is a descriptive epithet attached to

Outside biological nomenclature, prodigiosus appears in classical Latin literature and philology as an adjective describing marvels,

or
“characterized
by.”
The
result
is
a
descriptor
suggesting
something
extraordinary.
a
species
name.
Its
use
varies
by
taxonomic
tradition
and
over
time,
and
it
may
reflect
a
subjective
assessment
of
a
specimen
by
the
author
describing
it.
omens,
or
extraordinary
events.
In
English-language
discourse,
the
cognate
prodigious
is
used,
with
prodigiosus
rarely
appearing
outside
of
quoted
Latin
phrases
or
formal
taxonomic
contexts.