domesticus

Domesticus is a Latin masculine singular adjective used in biological nomenclature to indicate a population associated with humans or domestication. In taxonomy, it commonly appears as a subspecies epithet in trinomial names, for example Mus musculus domesticus (the Western European house mouse) and Gallus gallus domesticus (the domestic chicken).

Origin and usage: the epithet derives from the Latin for “of the house” or “domestic” and is applied to populations that are domesticated or occupy human-modified environments. The epithet signals a historical or ecological relationship to humans rather than a strict taxonomic rank in itself. It is frequently encountered in discussions of domesticated animals and their wild or feral relatives.

Gender and related forms: domesticus agrees in gender with the genus name; feminine is domestica and neuter domesticum. In practice, examples include Mus musculus domesticus and Gallus gallus domesticus, both masculine genus names, yielding the masculine form. Some other domesticated animals have appeared with the epithet in various classifications, such as Sus scrofa domesticus in older sources, though taxonomic usage can vary among authorities.