English Names

[Kathleen Moon]

Doug Yanega wrote:
> 
> Roger K. wrote:
> 
> >Butterflies in the UK have had
> >their vernacular names for several centuries also (in most cases), which may
> >account for their relatively stable nature. UK moth names are also several
> >centuries old; were sparingly used among a small circle of moth enthusiasts and
> >so stayed stable and remain so in more popular times as they are well
> >documented.
> 
> This reminds me - can anyone explain exactly why it is that gardeners have
> used latin names since time immemorial, and seem perfectly comfortable with
> them, while no other type of "layman naturalist" seems to even believe it
> is *possible* to learn them? I've seen untold complaints over the years
> about how impossible it is to learn latin names, yet there are millions of
> gardeners who spout latin names left and right - many probably not even
> realizing that they ARE using scientific names! If *they* can have a
> tradition of using latin names, why can't anyone else? If I can talk about
> chrysanthemums, rhododendrons, and hydrangeas and be understood by any Joe
> Gardener or grade school child, why can't I talk about Syntomeida and
> Hypercompe and Automolis with Joe Lepidopterist, and teach those names to
> kids? We don't NEED common names any more than the gardeners do...which is
> to say, probably not at all.

Amen!!