[Taxacom] pronunciation of Latin, concluding remarks

[Roger Burks]

I believe, in this case, that their solution is also reasonable. After
all, we all struggle (myself more than most) to pronounce words from
other languages. I think the point is that it is better to come
reasonably close to correctness, than it is to be very far from the
mark. It is also better to make the attempt than it is to choose
something arbitrary.

This is a common situation in decision-making, where the "perfect
becomes the enemy of the good." I would suggest that when perfection
is not attainable, then "good" or "adequate" is better than "very much
wrong."



Roger

> * this whole discussion neglects the imprinting of the pronunciation of
> some phonemes and the inability-to-pronounce other phonemes by children
> as they learn their mother tongue. If such scientific study of the
> ontology of speech shows that a single global pronunciation of
> scientific names is impossible, it seems scientifically silly to suggest it.
>
> fred (coming from a meeting where a Canadian described taking a
> pseudonym because her Chinese friends couldn't pronounce her name)
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>          Frederick W. Schueler & Aleta Karstad
> Bishops Mills Natural History Centre - http://pinicola.ca/bmnhc.htm
> Mudpuppy Night in Oxford Mills - http://pinicola.ca/mudpup1.htm
> Daily Paintings - http://karstaddailypaintings.blogspot.com/
>          South Nation Basin Art & Science Book
>          http://pinicola.ca/books/SNR_book.htm
>     RR#2 Bishops Mills, Ontario, Canada K0G 1T0
>   on the Smiths Falls Limestone Plain 44* 52'N 75* 42'W
>    (613)258-3107 <bckcdb at istar.ca> http://pinicola.ca/
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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