Species Names for Nobokov

Kenelm Philip fnkwp at aurora.alaska.edu
Sun Jan 28 21:53:51 EST 2001


should not propose a name that, when spoken, suggests a bizarre, comical,
or otherwise objectionable meaning."  The latest version of the Code has
modified this to read: "No author should propose a name that, to his or
her knowledge or reasonable belief, would be likely to give offence on
any grounds."
 
        First, these are _recommendations_, not rules of the Code. Second,
it is impossible to guarantee not offending on _any_ grounds--there will
always be someone to take exception. Third (in my own estimation) a little
bit of humor can add interest to the nomenclature--as anyone who recalls
Harry Clench's talk at the Los Angeles Lep. Soc. meeting might agree. (I
have heard that there is a small insect named _nixoni_ by a Scandinavian
zoologist because it lives in caves ands eats feces, but that may be a
legend...)
 
        There are people out there who object vigorously to the use of
patronyms in any circumstances--so you'll give offence to them even when
you name a species after someone who really deserves to be so memorialized.
Presumably they would have told Linne he shouldn't have named all those
species after various Roman and Greek people and deities...  :-)
 
                                                        Ken Philip
fnkwp at uaf.edu
 
 
 
 
 
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