Pronunciation of Scientific Names

Mol_PMB · Post by **Mol_PMB** » 23 Mar 2015, 08:48

I've found out recently that I've been mis-pronouncing the names of many of my fish. Having done most of my research into fish care requirements using books or online, I've never heard the names spoken. Attending the catfish convention and hearing the experts talk about these fish, I've realised my mistake.

For example, my Corydoras melini are not 'muh-lee-knee' that I've been calling them, but actually 'meh-lin-eye'.
Strangely, I've got the complicated ones like oiapoquensis and Psueudolithoxus right, but I've been saying Panaqolus, burgessi, guianense, meesi, and even odontes wrongly.

Is there anywhere I can find guidelines for the pronunciation of scientific names?

Cheers,
Paul

P.S. I'm not sure if the 'Speak Easy' section is the right one for this query - seems a little ironic...

Post by **Shane** » 23 Mar 2015, 10:10

http://capewest.ca/pron.html

Pretty good introduction above. That said, pronunciations can vary widely even among "experts." The point of using them is to ensure you are talking about the same organism, so I would not sweat pronunciation too much unless one is so far off that they are not understood.
And yes, I see the irony

-Shane

dw1305 · Post by **dw1305** » 23 Mar 2015, 10:12

Hi all,

Mol_PMB wrote:Is there anywhere I can find guidelines for the pronunciation of scientific names?

Like this <http://capewest.ca/pron.html>. Although the best advice I've heard recently was a tutor at a Field Centre who advises the students to "say the "latin" names like they are spells in Harry Potter", and it really seemed to work.

cheers Darrel

Mol_PMB · Post by **Mol_PMB** » 23 Mar 2015, 10:15

Great - thanks guys!

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racoll · Post by **racoll** » 23 Mar 2015, 22:19

As you already noted, that when a species is named after a person, an "i" (or "ae" for a woman) is added to the end. This "i" does not alter the pronunciation of the prefix. You just pronounce the name as you normally would, but clumsily tack on an "i" to the end. So burgessi would be "burgess-eye" not "bur-jessy". It really grinds my gears to hear people get this wrong (especially those that should know otherwise), but luckily I've never been enough of a jerk to correct anyone ...

What helps a lot though, is understanding how the names are constructed from their constituent parts. Once you break a name down, it's a lot easier to get your mouth round it. This website of fish etymology is fantastic for this: see http://www.etyfish.org/siluriformes6/.

Even pronouncing the name of the families is open to interpretation. The dog family (Canidae), is it "cani-day", "cani-dye", or "cani-dee" ...? I was always taught that the correct classical Latin (as opposed to vulgar Latin) pronunciation should be "cani-dye", but I am very much in a minority and too stubborn to change

Mol_PMB · Post by **Mol_PMB** » 23 Mar 2015, 22:43

Thanks! I feel rather stupid now but at least I'm trying to learn..

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jp11biod · Post by **jp11biod** » 23 Mar 2015, 22:52

Who's Harry Potter?

YouTube · Post by **bekateen** » 24 Mar 2015, 00:23

Wow, I knew I didn't pronounce every word right, but I never knew just HOW wrong I was. I would never dream that I should be saying Pectoralis as "pec-to-RAY-lis" or Lateralis = "lat-er-AY-lis!" (I have always said "pec-to-RAL-is" and "lat-er-AL-is;" RAY sounds so wrong to my ear).

Schooled.

Post by **Shane** » 24 Mar 2015, 01:14

One of the few that is a pet peeve for me is hearing people pronounce Panaque as "pa-nack" instead of correctly as "Pa-NAH-kay."
-Shane

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 24 Mar 2015, 01:17

I would never dream that I should be saying Pectoralis as "pec-to-RAY-lis" or Lateralis = "lat-er-AY-lis!" (I have always said "pec-to-RAL-is" and "lat-er-AL-is;" RAY sounds so wrong to my ear).

I say "pec-tor-RAH-lis" too, but minor details like this are really not important.

A lot comes down to people's accents at this point. That guide was clearly written by a North American. No Brit would ever say "aljee" or "funj-eye" for algae and fungi.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 24 Mar 2015, 01:23

a pet peeve for me is hearing people pronounce Panaque as "pa-nack" instead of correctly as "Pa-NAH-kay."

Embarrased to admit that I say "pa-nack", but it's an ingrained habit from before I knew any better. I need a "swear jar" for that one I think.

YouTube · Post by **bekateen** » 24 Mar 2015, 01:28

Back in the 1970s and 80s, when I was a student, several of my profs always said that Latin was a dead language and it was pointless to fuss about proper pronunciation; I imagine though that they meant that with limits.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 24 Mar 2015, 01:40

and it was pointless to fuss about proper pronunciation; I imagine though that they meant that with limits.

Agree entirely. As Shane already said, it's fine unless you mangle it completely.

It can be difficult to keep consistency indeed. For example, I pronounce the "ae" dipthong in three different ways, depending on the word: "ver-te-bray" (vertebrae), "kam-EE-leon" (chamaeleon), and "CA-nid-eye" (Canidae).

What a mess!

panaque · Post by **panaque** » 24 Mar 2015, 10:00

One thing I was taught was that generally (but with plenty of exceptions) the emphasis should be placed on the 3rd syllable from the end. It's DroSOphila, not DrosoPHIla, for example. Most English speaking people tend to put the emPHAsis on the wrong sylLAble.
Do we say CoRYdoras or CoryDOras?
I break this rule often because it just sounds wrong to say, for example, hypANcistrus. Or is that what people say?

aperturepriority · Post by **aperturepriority** » 30 Mar 2015, 02:36

Most English speaking people say PirAHna as apposed to PeerAHnya. Since that is a common name as opposed to a scientific name, I'm believing both are correct, depending on your dominant language. But feel free to correct me. I've always used PeerAHnya, even though my primary language is southeastern US English.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 30 Mar 2015, 03:29

Yes, absolutely. 'Peer-RAN-yah' is how people pronounce it in Brazil.

Post by **Shane** » 30 Mar 2015, 11:15

And thus the problem with common names. In the Orinoco drainages of Colombia and Venezuela they are "Caribe" after the fierce Carib tribe that also gave us the word Caribbean.
-Shane

aperturepriority · Post by **aperturepriority** » 30 Mar 2015, 15:54

That's interesting Shane. Thanks for sharing.