Jenny Scarboro wrote:
>
> Of course, Mark, you can pronounce Latin any way you like -- even
> classicists cannot reach a concensus on several troublesome Roman
> pronunciations.  However, I submit it's not important how the Romans
> pronounced their Latin, but how the scientific community TODAY uses it.
>
> It isn't difficult to school yourself in scientific pronunciation -- why
> such recalcitrance?  By choosing to use either American or European (and
> these are two different "accents," most scientists will agree) Latin
> pronunciation, a speaker presents him or herself as a serious student of
> the biological subject at hand.
>
> Now if you don't care how you say "busycon," well, I'm sure we can still
> get the meaning.  To many it's a nonissue.  Certainly I think it hardly
> matters if you're strictly a hobbyist and don't deal with anything but the
> simple shell itself.  Insisting on scientific pronunciation in your local
> shell club meeting would be extreme and might even turn off uninitiated new
> members.
>
> On the other hand, if I'm speaking to a professional malacologist, I need
> to sound like I know what I'm talking about.  I want my statements to be
> taken seriously.  Using good scientific pronunciation -- whether the
> American or European accent -- keeps me from making an initial impression
> as someone who either doesn't care, or doesn't know any better.
>
> BTW, if I didn't thank you before, Mark, the stamps you sent were really
> nice.  There were so many!  Thanks.
>
> Jenny Cline
> ----------
> > From: mark <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: What do we do?
> > Date: Friday, 01 May, 1998 6:11 AM
>
> > We also have another funny little thing about "Latin", it's a dead
> language
> > and thusly i hear several butchered Latin names as there are no
> indigenous
> > Latins speaking this anymore. My favorite revised Latin name is
> "busycon".
> > Many of you in the shelling community pronounce this boozycon?
> > ITS BUSY not boozy. If your using english as your native tongue then use
> > vowels properly. Well what do you think there Sir Art, have we made the
> > case? mark
 
 
 
This is like how do you say "crepedula"??? Several years ago Tucker made
a tape of the pronounciation of latin names...It was funny with his
Boston accent....we use to try to say it like he did.  I agree
scientific names MUST be used with scientific people and at shell shows
and with foreign traders.  We use common names when working in schools
and giving talks to Senior citizens, churches, etc.  But we constantly
try to teach our novice shell collectors in our club the latin names.
When we first got involved in Shell Collecting, the Santa Barbara
Malacological Society...would not let us use common names....it sure
helped us learn fast.
Anyway...this whole thing has got to do with the kind of collector you
are. Our shell club has crafters, beginners, advance, intermediate, very
serious, those who only buy shells, those who only sell shells, those
who only trade shells and those who only self-collect shells...that is
what makes this shell game so much fun...is it can appeal to many.
 
--
Jim & Bobbi Cordy
Specializing in Self-Collected
Caribbean & Florida Shells