[Taxacom] Species-level homonyms - between/within codes

[dipteryx at freeler.nl]

Van: Tony.Rees at csiro.au [mailto:Tony.Rees at csiro.au]
Verzonden: di 9-11-2010 10:37

> I realise, they are not technically homonyms under the [zoological] code
> which indicates that species level homonyms (except in the same genus)
> do not officially exist, however they are binomial names representing 
> the case of the same name used for different taxa (homonyms in the popular
> sense) which is the purpose of my disambiguation page. If it is preferred
> that they are not termed "homonyms" then perhaps there is a more appropriate 
> term?

> Regards - Tony

***
That is a good question. Actually it is worse than that. Under the zoological
Code they represent binominal names (binomina; note the -n-!) with the same 
spelling, but they are not the same names.

As each Code governs only its own nomenclatural universe, the term "homonym" 
is defined separately for each separate nomenclatural universe. Thus there 
can be no homonym across more than one Code, not without either changing 
the existing Codes or creating a new universe and defining new terms.

A neutral term would be "names with the same spelling", but note that this 
excludes chresonyms. Even more neutral would be "text strings with the same 
spelling", but this may cause problems with orthographical variants/variant 
spellings.

Paul