parkinsoni

Parkinsoni is a Latin-language epithet used in the scientific names of organisms to honor a person with the surname Parkinson. In zoological nomenclature, parkinsoni is the masculine genitive form and is commonly employed as the species epithet when the honoree is male. In botanical names, similar patronym forms exist, such as parkinsonii or parkinsoniana, chosen to align with Latin grammar and the gender of the genus or honoree. The epithet does not indicate any biological trait of the organism; rather, it signals tribute or attribution to a contributor named Parkinson.

Parkinsoni appears across multiple animal and plant groups, reflecting the widespread practice of commemorating researchers, collectors, patrons, or fellow scientists in species names. The specific individual honored by a given parkinsoni epithet can vary from case to case and is determined by the original describer of the species in its formal publication.

Notes: The term is distinct from Parkinson's disease, which is a neurodegenerative disorder named after James Parkinson; the taxonomic epithet Parkinsoni, parkinsonii, etc., are separate nominal forms and do not denote disease.

See also: Patronyms in taxonomy; Latin names; Species epithet.

References: Nomenclature codes such as the ICZN for animals and the ICN for plants govern the formation and use of patronym-based epithets like parkinsoni.