cervi

Cervi is a term with multiple uses in Italian and in onomastics. In Italian, cervi is the plural of cervo and is used to refer to deer in general, either collectively or when describing populations in the wild or in hunting and conservation contexts.

Etymology and taxonomy: The word cervi derives from the Latin cervus, the name for the deer. In scientific Latin, cervus is the genus that includes several deer species, such as the red deer (Cervus elaphus). In modern Italian, however, cervi is a common noun and is not used as a scientific genus name, nor is it capitalized when referring to animals in ordinary text.

Other uses: Cervi is also an Italian surname. It is borne by individuals and families, and is notably associated with the Fratelli Cervi, a group of seven brothers who became a symbol of anti-fascist resistance in Italy during World War II; their story is widely remembered in Italian history and culture.

See also: Cervidae, the deer family; Cervus, the deer genus. These terms appear in zoological contexts and in discussions of deer classification, separate from the everyday Italian usage of cervi as the plural noun for deer.