Taxacom: demystifying gender agreement ( was Re: Removals ofoffending scientific names)

[George Beccaloni]

Yes, exactly. Someone should compile a list of the many issues that gender
agreement causes. It seems to me to be a 'no-brainer' to simply use the
original published version of the species-group name. This would have many
advantages and be simple to implement. Let's go with the times and be
gender-neutral. Many important organisations are moving towards that - so
why not the ICZN> For example see
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.europarl.europa.eu%2Fcmsdata%2F151780%2FGNL_Guidelines_EN.pdf&data=05%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cc98f86ecb74b4723ffae08db762d1e92%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638233708538884996%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=fZoyNRtoqRMNSnQovnSkdM0KyWg5ALx5PtJ%2BNNYApjM%3D&reserved=0

George
****************************************************************************
*Dr George Beccaloni FLS*
*Director, Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project*

Wallace Correspondence Project: https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwallaceletters.myspecies.info%2F&data=05%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cc98f86ecb74b4723ffae08db762d1e92%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638233708538884996%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=9s33YQ%2BZdQh0SEWNDt6V07DT3DMdU9q2czu5nUNcaHo%3D&reserved=0
Wallace Memorial Fund: https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwallacefund.myspecies.info%2F&data=05%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cc98f86ecb74b4723ffae08db762d1e92%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638233708538884996%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Dl5RsvuPHxdyZvWZr5YjeOoBUFdZYlTu8N%2FDWdzS3Kc%3D&reserved=0
ResearchGate: https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fprofile%2FGeorge-Beccaloni-2&data=05%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cc98f86ecb74b4723ffae08db762d1e92%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638233708538884996%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7ZrBpG5ep80ddtQVTJNa9wjY4Osz1sGZFRTpsnO7IOQ%3D&reserved=0
****************************************************************************


On Mon, 26 Jun 2023 at 10:54, Geoff Read via Taxacom <taxacom at lists.ku.edu>
wrote:

>
> As a database editor I can have great difficulty in ascertaining the
> gender of a genus, because it isn't stated, and the derivation of the name
> is obscure and unresolvable.
> Sometimes the view of the gender assignment oscillates between masculine
> and feminine with successive authors over the decades. Who is right?
> The other unnecessary problem is that authors don't think it necessary to
> explain themselves when they suddenly change the gender endings within a
> genus. It's beneath them to help out in that way.
> So, lacking the explanation, we try to find the evidence for ourselves.
> This is a terrific waste of my time.
>
> All this can be avoided and could have been avoided if authors in the past
> and right now put in the minimum effort to explain their genus & species
> names in full. And editors & reviewers insist they do so.
> I'll bet many today cannot explain how they formulated the spelling of
> their new names, and don't know what they should be doing, and just imitate
> what they see.  They should get advice.
>
> Geoff
> --
> Geoffrey B. Read, Ph.D.
> Wellington, NEW ZEALAND
> gread at actrix.gen.nz
>
>
>
> >---- Original Message ----
> >From: lynn via Taxacom <taxacom at lists.ku.edu>
> >To: "George Beccaloni" <g.beccaloni at gmail.com>
> >Cc: "Taxacom Mailinglist" <taxacom at lists.ku.edu>
> >Sent: Mon, Jun 26, 2023, 8:03 PM
> >Subject: Re: Taxacom: demystifying gender agreement ( was Re: Removals
> ofoffending scientific names)
> >
> >English does have gender agreement - he, she and it; his, hers and its.
> >
> >What bothers me is if taxonomists find it so difficult to work with such
> a simple requirement as gender agreement, how can we trust their taxonomic
> work which should be far more complex?
> >
> >It seems that some of the problems (like Abba) are caused because the
> Code does not insist that all genus and species level names should be
> Latinised.
> >
> >Lynn
> >
> >> On 26 Jun 2023, at 00.14, George Beccaloni via Taxacom <
> taxacom at lists.ku.edu> wrote:
> >>
> >> Given that English doesn't have gender agreement, I find it confusing
> too.
> >> Given that English is now the language of science and many taxonomists
> >> whose first language isn't English, are 'forced' to publish in English,
> it
> >> seems ridiculous that they also have to understand gender agreement just
> >> for the purposes of nomenclature. They have to first go to the trouble
> of
> >> writing in English, and then have another hurdle to jump - one which
> serves
> >> no practical purpose whatsoever! Gender agreement of scientific names
> is a
> >> antiquated, useless and burdensome!
> >>
> >> George
> >>
> >>
> ****************************************************************************
> >> *Dr George Beccaloni FLS*
> >> *Director, Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project*
> >>
> >> Wallace Correspondence Project: https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwallaceletters.myspecies.info%2F&data=05%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cc98f86ecb74b4723ffae08db762d1e92%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638233708538884996%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=9s33YQ%2BZdQh0SEWNDt6V07DT3DMdU9q2czu5nUNcaHo%3D&reserved=0
> >> Wallace Memorial Fund: https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwallacefund.myspecies.info%2F&data=05%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cc98f86ecb74b4723ffae08db762d1e92%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638233708538884996%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Dl5RsvuPHxdyZvWZr5YjeOoBUFdZYlTu8N%2FDWdzS3Kc%3D&reserved=0
> >> ResearchGate: https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fprofile%2FGeorge-Beccaloni-2&data=05%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cc98f86ecb74b4723ffae08db762d1e92%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638233708538884996%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7ZrBpG5ep80ddtQVTJNa9wjY4Osz1sGZFRTpsnO7IOQ%3D&reserved=0
> >>
> ****************************************************************************
> >>
> >>
> >>> On Sun, 25 Jun 2023 at 22:25, Dochterland via Taxacom <
> taxacom at lists.ku.edu>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Dear Stephen,
> >>>
> >>> It depends on the level you want to achieve in a language. If you want
> to
> >>> read Horace prima vista then Latin is complex and confusing indeed.
> But to
> >>> attribute the correct gender to an adjective in a scientific name is
> very
> >>> basic and simple indeed.
> >>>
> >>> Jan
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Taxacom Mailing List
>
> Send Taxacom mailing list submissions to: taxacom at lists.ku.edu
> For list information; to subscribe or unsubscribe, visit:
> https://lists.ku.edu/listinfo/taxacom
> You can reach the person managing the list at: taxacom-owner at lists.ku.edu
> The Taxacom email archive back to 1992 can be searched at:
> https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftaxacom.markmail.org%2F&data=05%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cc98f86ecb74b4723ffae08db762d1e92%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638233708538884996%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=IVyIkXdUh7YAxkU5WDn6nq0455qLdFH5CiMynWKSkv4%3D&reserved=0
>
> Nurturing nuance while assailing ambiguity and admiring alliteration for
> about 36 years, 1987-2023.
>