Re: OT: latin pronunciation

Griff,  thanks for the comments.

I agree with you that pseu-DACK-orus is probably the pronunciation we 
should be using.  I will try to change my pronunciation to that instead 
of pseu-DAY-cor-us, as well.  Although I have to admit that after all 
these years saying pseu-DAY-cor-us, it is a challenge to change.  And, 
that will be the same difficulty I will have in saying Thunberg-ee-ee 
rather than Thunberg-ee-eye, and I will freely admit that I will not 
change the way I say EYE-ris, unless I am in the company of those who 
pronounce it that way....and then, when in Rome.... as they say.

   "and few treatises on pronunciation of Latin for barbarians."

	But if there had been, I can see the title now:  "Lingua Latina
	pro Stipitibus"  (Latin for Dummies).

I like it.  It might have sold well !   lol

Many of you are possibly (probably !) thinking that we have kicked this 
dead horse for far too long, but you should read some of the posts on 
TAXACOM about pronunciation of Latin scientific names.  It is amazing 
how long many of these arguments among taxonomists have been brewing on 
this subject.....many decades in fact (probably centuries, 
actually)....and with no future end in sight, either.

I do like the suggestion by Anner, though, and would also like to see 
some pronunciation guides for the names listed.

Gary White
Lincoln, Nebraska    zone 5


jgcrump wrote:

>Gary  --  Thanks for broadening our perspective by adding the pharmacist's
>view.  As to the pronunciation of pseudacorus, I would have to subscribe to
>Fassett's pronunciation of pseu-DACK-orus.  I say I would have to because,
>like Dave Ferguson, I have been pronouncing it "pseud-a-CORE-us"; however, I
>see that Wyman's Gardening Encyclopedia gives the pronunciation of Acorus as
>AK-or-us, so, when "pseudo" and "acorus" are conjoined (with the "o" being
>eclipsed by the "a"), the pronunciation of the principal word would be kept,
>while simply adding "pseud" as the prefix.  Thus, pseud-ACK-orus.

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