common names vs technical names

[Stanley A. Gorodenski]

It may be the 'strange stares' are because they also don't know how it
is pronounced, and are wondering if they have been mispronouncing it all
along.  I have never felt gun-shy about the possibility of
mispronouncing  a scientific name.  Whomever I am talking to knows what
I am referring to, and when I do learn I am incorrectly pronouncing
something, I change it.

Stan Gorodenski

Mark Walker wrote:
> 
> It would really help if there was a common pronunciation (and perhaps some
> guidelines for doing it).  I am comfortable saying "Chrysanthemum" because I
> know how to say it (although I don't know if I could've spelled it had
> Norbert not already done so).  I usually use a Latin pronunciation, but then
> I get some strange stares from folks when I use it.  It makes me a tad bit
> gun shy - and it's through comfortable use that these labels become "common"
> in our vocabulary anyway.
> 
> Just a thought.
> 
> Mark Walker
> still in Houston, TX
> 
> Norbert Kondla wrote:
> 
> >
> > Just an observation that has likely been made by others:
> > since backyard
> > gardeners have no difficulty uttering the word
> > "Chrysanthemum" I see no
> > reason why us intelligent butterfly people should have any difficulty
> > uttering or spelling or remembering the words "Pieris marginalis".
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Norbert Kondla  P.Biol., RPBio.
> > Forest Ecosystem Specialist, Ministry of Environment
> > 845 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, British Columbia V1N 1H3
> > Phone 250-365-8610
> > Mailto:Norbert.Kondla at gems3.gov.bc.ca
> > http://www.env.gov.bc.ca
> >

-- 
If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't
seem wonderful at all.  -- Michelangelo