Latin names: WHY?

[likeitorlumpit]

Roo bus cock bury anus

now it's phonetic ish I bet it won't get past the mods

[Andy Collins]

I was told once that there is no hard and fast pronunciation of the botanical name, some trip off the tongue easily, some are a pita to say. I may be wrong, but so long as you try to say it, most wlll know. Snobs will try and show you up, but they may be wrong in their pronunciation. As most botancal names are derived from 2 "dead" languages, predominantly Latin and Greek, both ancient languages of which the peoples who spoke it are long dead. I also suspect that depending on the locality of the person, different dialects would come into play, whether ancient or modern.

[Steve Bullman]

I was also once told that Latin is a written language, not a spoken language, and there was no right or wrong way to say it. Ironically the same person who told me than would also correct my pronunciation every time I used a Latin name

[Dave D]

I really struggle with the pronunciation of Latin names, I read the name, but don't know how its spoken. Are there any audio books, that give the correct pronunciations, this goes for both trees and fungi.

 

try googling the word ie, 'how to pronounce ........'. i found a couple of websites this way that have a list of names that you click to hear the pronounciation. you could even type 'how to pronounce botanical names'.

[blazer]

Roo bus cock bury anus

now it's phonetic ish I bet it won't get past the mods

 

Reminds me of working in south america learning spanish, a slight mistake on how you say a work can make a big difference:blushing:

 

like how old are you? in spanish it comes out as ' I have 35 years' but with a slight difference years 'anos' becomes - 'anus' so now you are saying you have 35 'anus'.

 

Moral of the story,' learn all the dirty words first - then you can avoid making mistakes in polite company - like your new girlfriends family.

[skyhuck]

try googling the word ie, 'how to pronounce ........'. i found a couple of websites this way that have a list of names that you click to hear the pronounciation. you could even type 'how to pronounce botanical names'.

 

Cheers Dave, thats really useful

[David Humphries]

Having just read the judgement on the Fellbrigg fatality, I found it annoying & frustrating that a Judge presiding over a case involving Tree Professionals used the name 'fagus sylvaticus' and not 'Fagus sylvatica' to describe the offending tree.

 

Bowen (A Child) & Ors v The National Trust [2011] EWHC 1992 (QB) (27 July 2011)

 

What does this say about me ?

 

Am I just a nerd who likes everything to be like it is in the texts.

 

Or someone who would like to think that landmark cases such as this, should actually be helping to promote our industry to the professional standards that we aspire it to be regarded by?

 

 

Answers on a postcard to...............

 

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[Amelanchier]

Indeed but that may be a minor point considering the ruling describes Felbrigg as being in Suffolk!

[David Humphries]

Indeed but that may be a minor point considering the ruling describes Felbrigg as being in Suffolk!

 

 

 

 

Isn't Norfolk just north Suffolk

 

 

 

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[Amelanchier]

I have norfolking idea...