Re: Bot. pronunciation
- To: i*@Rt66.com
- Subject: Re: Bot. pronunciation
- From: L* P* <p*@peak.org>
- Date: Sun, 7 Apr 1996 14:33:21 -0700
At 05:48 AM 4/7/96 MDT, you wrote:
>In a message dated 96-04-06 19:57:59 EDT, you write:
snip.....
>This brings me to a pesky question... I would like to take a poll on how
>people pronounce ' pseudacorus '.
>
>How many say SUE-DOE-cor-us
>
>How many say sue-DOCK-cor-us
>
>I've been corrected both ways. I like number 2 better... just because I
>resist calling ANYTHING pseudo.
>
>Hope everyone's day of renewal is full of green things (with the exception of
>your ham).
>
>For us in Western New York, mother nature has thrown another sucker punch...
>an inch of new snow!
>
>Kathy Guest
Kathy, I say 'Iris soo-dah-KOR-us' and haven't been corrected yet -- but am
careful not to hang out with the kind of people who correct botanical
pronunciation <g>.
Will send for Lorena Reid's catalog; thanks for the tip.
Nell Lancaster, Lexington, VA 75500.2521@compuserve.com USDA zone
In the preface to the new Jepsen's Manual ( a book of CA wild plants) there
is an excellent commentary on pronunciation of botanical Latin that begins
by pointing out the lack of agreement among scholars as to Latin pronunciation.
I had four years of rigorous Latin in High School taught by a PhD scholar
who said that the only reason for reading it out loud or speaking it was to
teach us to "think on our feet"! Since there is no consensus about
pronouncing, ie no rigidly "correct" pronunciation, we are free to butcher
the language as we choose!
My botanist sister told me long ago that the only "rule" she knew about was
one of respect for geographical and personal names that are latinized.
Common usage has even obscured this rule as well.
My Latin papers always had lots of red marks on them, but, ahh- my
pronunciation was flawless.....SUE-DAH-.........well, anyhow, Happy Easter,
All, Louise
Louise H. Parsons <parsont@peak.org>
1915 SE Stone St.
Corvallis, OR 97333 USA
USDA zone 7 , Emerald NARGS, AIS, SIGNA, SPCNI, transplanted Oregrowian
