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
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> 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
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