Re: Botanical Pronunciation

Since there are several systems of pronunciation of botanical Latin, it
will be impossible to please everyone. Then there is ecclesiastical Latin
and at least two varieties of classical Latin (the weirder and least
accepted of which was what I was lucky enough to be taught). The best
advice I have heard is to pronounce it any way you like, but say it fast
and with great authority, so that you seem to know what you are doing. If
questioned, you can always plead having been educated in your earliest
years by Bulgarian (or whatever) monks, so that your Latin accent has
never been the same since. But it doesn't hurt to have the Timber Press
book, and it's inexpensive.

Seriously, it is very useful to know and use the Latin names, however you
pronounce them. In foreign countries, communicating with gardeners who
don't speak English, they are a necessity.

Bobbi Diehl
Bloomington, IN
zone 5/6


On Fri, 10 Sep 1999, Clyde Crockett wrote:

> In a message dated 9/10/1999 7:38:35 AM Central Daylight Time,
> ppostlewaite@YAHOO.COM writes:
>
> << Does anyone know of a pronunciation guide for botanical names, either
>  on-line or in hard copy?
>   >>
> I find (somewhat) useful, A. COOMBES,DICTIONARY OF PLANT NAMES(Timber Press
> 1993).
>
> Clyde Crockett z5 Indy IN
>
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