[Taxacom] species names for sale.

[Thomas Yancey]

Thank you Tom and Curtis. I find this type of discussion invigorating 
because it brings in an understanding of language and helps clarify 
our thinking processes and habits of use in communication. This type 
of discussion is very helpful.

This illustrates the learning process that Taxacom fosters and is one 
of the reasons I like this list group.

Tom Yancey


>At 08:11 AM 1/26/2007, Curtis Clark wrote:
>>  > I know of no rule that forbids the coinage of new words in English
>>  > when they are needed.  "Speciose" fills a percieved need; everyone
>>  > knows what it means, even its detractors.
>>
>>Yes, it means species-rich.
>>
>>  > There is no reason to
>>  > aside from a pedantic devotion to etymological purity to avoid the
>>  > word.
>>
>>I'm proud of being a pedant (all that education wasn't for nothing), but
>>it's not etymological purity, rather a sadness that people coin
>>unnecessary words out of ignorance. It's the ignorance I deplore, not
>>the coinage of new words. I know that deploring ignorance is not held in
>>high regard these days, but then, well, I'm a pedant.
>
>I don't think it has anything to do with ignorance.  I think that's a
>specious argument, and frankly rather condescending.  Again, I am not aware
>of any rule that forbids the existence of synonyms in language.  Even in
>scientific writing, it is often desirable  to avoid using the same word
>over and over and over.  Being able to describe a group as speciose
>sometimes and species-rich at others is useful, to avoid unnecessary
>repetition.  Furthermore, I think there is something to be said for the
>functional simplicity of a single word over a hyphenated compound.
>
>And in any event, coining a new word or pressing an obsolete one into a new
>usage is nowhere near as confusing and disruptive as intentionally
>redefining a well known and widely used term like "monophyly" ...
>
>
>Thomas G. Lammers, Ph.D.
>
>Associate Professor and Curator of the Herbarium (OSH)
>Department of Biology and Microbiology
>University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
>Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901-8640 USA
>
>e-mail:       lammers at uwosh.edu
>phone:      920-424-1002
>fax:           920-424-1101
>
>Plant systematics; classification, nomenclature, evolution, and
>biogeography of the Campanulaceae s. lat.
>
>Webpages:
>http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/biology/Lammers.htm
>http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/biology/herbarium/herbarium.html
>http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Resort/7156/lammers.html
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>"Today's mighty oak is yesterday's nut that stood his ground."
>                                                                -- Anonymous
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