[Taxacom] Asterales

[Paul van Rijckevorsel]

It has been rightly noted that the botanical Code does not
include anything on pronounciation (also see Art. 60.2
where typography is explicitly excluded from being regulated
by the Code).

In itself, the argument that scientific names are to be treated
as Latin (see Principle V in the botanical Code) and thus to
be pronounced as Latin is an appealing one. However, it is
nowhere near as conclusive as suggested, as it just defers
the question to "How do we, here, in this part of the world,
pronounce Latin", a question which, as noted, does not
have a conclusive answer.

Paul

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roger Burks" <burks.roger at gmail.com>
To: <Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 9:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Asterales


I suppose one last link might help. There is a pdf available from a
University of Georgia linguist, who succinctly gives a summary of the
different major methods of pronouncing Latin, including a rule on
accents, notes on history, and a table of competing methods of
pronunciation:

http://www.ai.uga.edu/mc/latinpro.pdf

He recommends the "northern continental" pronunciation, which he
rightly distinguishes from ecclesiastical (mainly Southern European)
Latin. It might also help address the inevitable confusion that occurs
over terminology.

Roger

On Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 1:02 PM, Pierre Morisset
<pierre.morisset at globetrotter.net> wrote:
> This is indeed an ancient problem.
> When Pehr Kalm stayed in England on his way to North America, he
> mentionned to Linnaeus (in a letter dated February 9, 1748) that it was no
> use visiting the English gentlemen of London, to whom Linnaeus had written
> letters of recommendation, because he could not speak English. He added
> that even if these gentlemen knew Latin (which Kalm spoke fluently "in the
> Ciceronian way"), it was useless "because their pronunciation is
> incomprehensible". See The Linnaean Correspondance
> (http://linnaeus.c18.net/).
>
> I remember a talk by Max Walters to an international botanical audience.
> Every latin name occurred twice in a row, the fist pronounced the English
> way and the second the more "general European" way, so that all botanists
> attending could understand what he was saying about «Silene diclinis
> Silene diclinis".
>
> P.M.
>
> ———————————————————
> Pierre Morisset
> 304, avenue De Gaspé Ouest
> Saint-Jean-Port-Joli (Québec) G0R 3G0
> Tél.: 418·598·6972

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