sindicus

Sindicus is a Latin adjective used in biological nomenclature to indicate a connection with the Sindh region in South Asia, now part of present-day Pakistan. In zoological and botanical names, it may appear as a species epithet or subspecies epithet, typically implying that the type specimen originated from Sindh or that the species was first described from that region. The epithet is not a definitive statement about current distribution and can reflect historical collection data, the location of the type specimen, or the locality associated with the describer.

Etymology and grammar: Sindicus derives from Sindh with the standard Latin adjectival suffix -icus, meaning “pertaining to.” As an adjective, it agrees in gender with the genus: sindicus (masculine), sindica (feminine), sindicum (neuter).

Usage notes: Geographic epithets such as sindicus are common across animalia and botany and can appear at various ranks, from species to subspecies. They are part of the broader tradition of Latinizing locality-based names in taxonomy and reflect historical rather than universal distribution patterns.

Notes on related epithets: Sindicus is distinct from indicus, which denotes India more generally. The choice between such epithets is determined by taxonomic authors and governed by the rules of Latin grammar in the zoological and botanical codes.