Latin names: WHY?

[ctenicera]

I totally agree (see my before post), although I hope that you in future will say Quercus rober and write Q. robur .

 

Doh! See I tried to be intelligent there and failed completely!!

 

I think I spelt exelsior wrong too - excelsior!?

[Fungus]

I think I spelt exelsior wrong too - excelsior!?

 

Correct, excelsior being Latin and archaic English meaning "even higher". And I wouldn't bother drawing attention to names or terms being spelt incorrectly if it did not cause problems in using the Search function.

Edited July 18, 2011 by Fungus

[Dean Lofthouse]

no Dean ..thats a sheep dipping culture mate....

but then maybe in Huddersfield things is different?

 

No...it's people trying to take another step up the class ladder.

 

They are also the type that place their bottle recycling bin in a prominent position so passers by can see just how much wine they drink in a week. The chances are, they would also have a BMW X5 parked on the drive and a big gold chain round their necks

 

Jilly Goolden has an educated palate, Bill the chav doesn't, "init"

Edited July 18, 2011 by Dean Lofthouse

[janey]

To be fair though, in normal conversation with a mate I wouldn't usually go harping on about Quercus rober or Fraxinus exelsior.

 

You're missing out. Oh, the fun we have down the pub, relaxing after another hard day's inspecting, chatting about our petreas and canariensis'...

[elicokiz]

ad iudicium:001_tt2:

[ctenicera]

You're missing out. Oh, the fun we have down the pub, relaxing after another hard day's inspecting, chatting about our petreas and canariensis'...

 

Cool, I'll give it a go!

[Amelanchier]

You're missing out. Oh, the fun we have down the pub, relaxing after another hard day's inspecting, chatting about our petreas and canariensis'...

 

In vino veritas...

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Ha Ha, Tony S is so right, this will be repeated, again and again. like so many other benign threads begun on a whim or glass of Lager/wine induced madness!

 

I love words, and if you love words Latin is a great language, whether its got some Greek or whatever Germanic etc. I personally couldn't give a hoot, I love botanical Latin/ scientific Latin, half breed mongrel Latin, I learn the Latin Rather than the common names because it is the correct way to learn and describe and communicate a thing.

[Fungus]

the fun we have down the pub, relaxing after another hard day's inspecting, chatting about our petreas and canariensis'...

 

Besides, the Latin names almost always refer to certain aspects or characteristics of a genus and/or species.

And some taxonomists must have had a great sense of humour calling the Stinkhorn the "impudent phallus" and a puffball Lycoperdon foetidum, the Greek lykos meaning wolf, the Greek perdomai meaning release wind or fart and the Latin foetidum meaning revolting smelly or with a nauseating stench .

[RobArb]

my five year old knows more trees by the latin name than he does the common!

 

he can easily name 12 trees by their latin/scientific name:thumbup: