Latin names: WHY?

[Le Sanglier]

latin is the basis of all european languages anyway, it was this universal link that led to its common use in science.

 

this threads a no brainer for me, not even an argument to be had on the pros and cons.

 

dislike smiley faces but:thumbup:

[David Goss]

When in Rome ............

 

 

But we are not in Rome

 

I was in Rome and their common names for trees is a lot of the time very similar to the latin name. needless to say it took a long time and a lot of flicking through tree ident books to get the names right and now after almost a year back home i have forgotten them already:blushing:

memorius crapicus

I do agree though that we need the latin names as the internationally recognised names otherwise there would be a lot of confusion and mistakes.

[roseyweb]

I love the botanical names it's interesting if you find out what they mean and can also help you in IDing trees as the Latin name is often descriptive.

 

Also many trees names might refer to different species like the 60m ish mountain ash I hiked to go see in oz only for it to be another type of gum tree were as there's only one sorbus acumabob

 

Also depends on if your a oath with a saw or genuine arboriculturist with a good knowledge of tree species and sciences

[janey]

Sycamore trees.

 

Plane trees.

 

I think they are about the best examples of why one universal language is used for precise plant taxonomy.

 

For anyone interested in the work that they do, the relationship between species, as shown by their genus, family and so on, can give a good indication to their characteristics if you are not overly familiar with that particular one.

[Graham]

It is THE only way to properly describe any living thing that can then be identified the world over.

 

It is nothing to do with any intellectual status and is not all latin. There's a bit of ancient Greek thrown in and some anglicised latin.

[High Scale]

There was a good botany program that janey pointed out a while back on the iplayer on why things have latin names and how it originated, if its still there I'll post it

 

I don't think the program is available anymore but a very good watch it was.

 

One of my first employers would only use Latin names in his reports so you would be in trouble if you didn't know any, forgotten them all now though.

Edited July 17, 2011 by High Scale

[roseyweb]

Although i love the botanical names I would only ever us it when necessary as people can see through the fake veneer of intelligence used by people dropping big words into standard convosation.

[easy-lift guy]

Scootspine1, I believe that would be the sub species, Variety I believe.

elg

[felixthelogchopper]

Would that be Scotspine1 or a different variety?

[janey]

Although i love the botanical names I would only ever us it when necessary as people can see through the fake veneer of intelligence used by people dropping big words into standard convosation.

 

It's wierd you say that. I much prefer using the Latin name wherever possible and find it much more "natural" than using the common name. My friends and colleagues in the arb' world seem to be of the same mind on this and we rarely use anything but Latin names.

 

I like using big words n' all; not because I'm hugely intelligent (which, of course, I am ), but because I like precise language and I can convey a slightly different nuance to my meaning by using more defined terminology. Does that make me a geek ?