arabicus

Arabicus is a Latin adjective used in biological taxonomy as part of a species’ scientific (binomial) name to indicate a relation to Arabia or the Arabian Peninsula. It is the masculine singular form; the feminine form arabica and the neuter form arabicum are used to agree with the gender of the genus to which the species belongs. The clave meaning is geographical or origin-based rather than descriptive of morphology.

In practice, arabicus (and its variants) appears across a range of taxa, including animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms, wherever a taxonomist intends to note a connection to Arabia. Because the gender of the epithet must align with the genus name, different taxa may employ arabicus, arabica, or arabicum in their full scientific name. The use of such epithets follows the rules of Latin grammar as prescribed by the relevant nomenclatural codes, such as the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) and the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN).

Etymologically, arabicus derives from Arabia, with the Latin suffix -icus forming an adjective that conveys “of Arabia.” This naming convention is common in taxonomy to signal geographic provenance, historical association, or discovery in a particular region, while remaining distinct from the generic genus name in each case.

See also: binomial nomenclature, Latin grammar in scientific naming, ICZN, ICN.