pronouncing names

[Kristina Lemson]

As an Antipodean who speaks 'Strine' (translated as Australian to those
who speak English) , I have to comment on the difference between
zoologists and botanists in pronunciation. Most Australian botanists I
know (note- a subsample of course) when presented with the word
"Pongidae" would not say 'pon-ji-dae' but 'pon-gi-dae'. Is this simply
because in our dialect 'pong' means 'to have a strong, unpleasant smell;
to reek' and we think the whole thing stinks?


Dr. Kristina Lemson
School of Natural Sciences
Edith Cowan University
100 Joondalup Drive
Joondalup, Western Australia 6027

Ph +61 8 9400 5369
Fax +61 8 9400 5509