Carl Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy was born on this day, 302 years ago. In light of his birthday, I thought I would address some issues aquarists face regarding scientific names–they can be more difficult than you think. In reality the scientific names used in modern taxonomy are not latin. Yes some come from latin [...]
Carl Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy was born on this day, 302 years ago. In light of his birthday, I thought I would address some issues aquarists face regarding scientific names–they can be more difficult than you think.
In reality the scientific names used in modern taxonomy are not latin. Yes some come from latin or draw from its roots, but the scientific community and everyday speakers have anglocized it to the point of no return. Slap in the synthetic, but great, possesive names like Johnrandallia or pylei and we further complicate the situation.
Over time the pronunciation has evolved in line with the vernacular language of the users, creating a myriad of “standard” pronunciations. So which is correct? In taxonomy Latin exists on paper, but rarely in voice.
This problem is not new or unique to contemporary generations. Over 500 years ago, multinational groups that used latin, such as the Catholic Church, could not understand the spoken Latin word of people from different regions! In aquaria, we see that pronunciation is also dictated by social microcosms within the hobby. No genus better exemplifies this than the colored sticks of Acropora spp.
A-crop-ora or Akro-poor-ah ?
By now you’ve seen National Geographic a time or two and you’ve asked yourself, is the British guy right? Is it a-crop-ora or ak-row-poor-uh? Both are acceptable–although the scientific type tend to gravitate towards the first, while “reefers” use the latter. Some interpret the second “o” (acropora) as a long vowel, in which case the emphasis is placed there.
The popular dipthong “ae”, as in the angelfish family Pomacanthidae, is often said in different ways and sometimes interchangably. Classic english pronunciation suggests ”ee” as in “Caesar” or “algae”, however aquarists often give it a long “i” treatment like in the word “kaiser” (which in fact comes from Caesar). It is often pronounced “po-ma-canth-eh-dye”, but the “proper” anglo-latin pronunciation would be “pom-ma-canth-eh-dee“.
Caesar is an often used in Latin examplifying the range of pronunciation, see the variations below.
Kye-sahr –Reconstructed / Classic Latin
Say-sahr–Northern Europe
Chay-sahr–Italian / Church Latin
See-zer–English
The popular nutrient harvesting macroalgae Chaetomorpha spp. suffers a similar fate. The first part, Chaet , comes from the Greek word khaite, meaning, long flowing hair. (The thought of refugium chaeto as hair is disturbing.) I would recommend saying it in a similar latin / greek dialect–key-to-mor-fa. Remember that in Latin the “CH” is always a “K” sound. Kay-to is often used and is acceptable, but stay away from the cha-cha sound. The chae, pronunced key, is often used in zoology in the word chaeta. Point being, the pronunciation is established and is not likely to change anytime soon.
The letter “i” at the end of many words can be tricky. For example the incorrectly latinized and spoken plural of octopus–octopi (ock-toe-pie). In classic latin “i” endings are actually an “ee” ending. If you say “look at those ock-toe-pee,” you’ll get a few looks. Stick with the anglo version or use the proper plural–octopuses or octopodes. (If you’re interested in classical latin pronunciation, check out Vox Latina by William Allen.)
The “i” ending is very popular among fish as well, for example C. tinkeri or C. burgessi. Classic Latin uses the “ee” sound, but we have anglocized them with an eye ending (tink-er-eye & bur-giss-eye). In the case of a “ii” like mertensii an ee-eye treatment is the formal way to say it—mer-ten-see-eye. However, some taxonomists prefer to retain the possessive name Mertens for mer-tens-eee.
The Volitans Lionfish. Creative Commons, BWF.
Lastly, in words beginning with”Pt” the first letter is silent. This is best exemplified by the Volitans Lionfish–Pterois volitans. This taxonomic name looks much more tricky then it is. Remember the words terra and volume, for a pronuncation of Tare-oh-ease vol-eh-tawns. Other examples of silent first letters include Ct, Mn, Gn, and Ps. In these cases ignore the first letter.
Don’t get too tripped up over how to say these names properly, many pronunciations are acceptable and even more are debatable. Hopefully this article provided some guidance, but if you’re unsure the best advice I can give is:
- Ask your respected peers how they pronounce it–most are never 100% certain
- Don’t sound overly American– when in doubt think of the romance languages
- Say it with confidence–most “Latin” words are said incorrectly anyways
Sources:
Arnett, Ross H. American insects a handbook of the insects of America north of Mexico. Boca Raton, Fla: CRC P, 2000.
Harris, William. The Pronunciation of Latin. Middlebury University. <http://community.middlebury.edu/~harris/LatinBackground/Pronunciation.html>.
Moore JE, Williams F. Cicero and Burkholderia cepacia: What’s in a Name? Emerg Infect Dis 2003.
<http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol9no4/02-0700.htm>.
Nubakken, Oscar E. Greek and Latin in Scientific Terminology. New York: Iowa State P, 1985.
Walters, Dirk R. Vascular plant taxonomy. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co., 1996.
