CactiGuide.com Big Picture Project
As you know, chrysocentrus grows all over the Meadview AZ area, from roughly Chloride up the Meadview Road. E. engelmannii variegatus is also a northern AZ plant, from the mesas around Navajo Bridge, for example. It's very cold up in these areas but perhaps it doesn't stay freezing during the day, so there is some heat to offset the freezing nights?
peterb
peterb
Zone 9
- Peterthecactusguy
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Re: CactiGuide.com Big Picture Project
daiv, I believe a lot of cacti enthusiasts get puzzled when it comes to plants' Latin names pronunciation. Including me.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a phonetic part in the genera and species names on cactiguide.com, hopefully with stress marks?
I.e. I've no idea what is the right way to pronounce Acharagma (and a lot more, mainly species' epithets) - Akaragma (like in kite), Acharagma (like in cherry), Aharagma (like in hamburger) and where to put the stress…
Wouldn't it be nice to have a phonetic part in the genera and species names on cactiguide.com, hopefully with stress marks?
I.e. I've no idea what is the right way to pronounce Acharagma (and a lot more, mainly species' epithets) - Akaragma (like in kite), Acharagma (like in cherry), Aharagma (like in hamburger) and where to put the stress…
Cheers, Andrey
Re: CactiGuide.com Big Picture Project
Hi Andrey.
Thanks. This subject has been brought up a few times here and has been discussed at length. What it boils down to is that however YOU say it is correct. Pronounce it as best you can and just run with it. So any of your examples are fine. Latin names are a mishmash of Latin, greek, proper names, etc. So I suppose for those wanting to have some sort of standard to follow, the best would be to learn etymology of each name and try as best as you can to preserve the pronunciation of the incorporated name if applicable.
And just remember, the person you are talking to is just as scared of his own way of saying these names as you are of yours. So a good strategy is let the other guy say a name first and then raise an eyebrow and frown. Then use your version with confidence and let them sweat it out.
Daiv
Thanks. This subject has been brought up a few times here and has been discussed at length. What it boils down to is that however YOU say it is correct. Pronounce it as best you can and just run with it. So any of your examples are fine. Latin names are a mishmash of Latin, greek, proper names, etc. So I suppose for those wanting to have some sort of standard to follow, the best would be to learn etymology of each name and try as best as you can to preserve the pronunciation of the incorporated name if applicable.
And just remember, the person you are talking to is just as scared of his own way of saying these names as you are of yours. So a good strategy is let the other guy say a name first and then raise an eyebrow and frown. Then use your version with confidence and let them sweat it out.
Daiv
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
Re: CactiGuide.com Big Picture Project
By the way, I have the book "Botanical Latin" by William T. Stearn. The book is quite large at 560 pages!
http://www.exoticplantbooks.com/detail/?product_id=168
However, on the matter of pronunciation there can't be more than 10 pages if even that many. It more or less says that you can't insist on any one pronunciation, but does it with much more advanced and intelligent sounding language than me. Ha ha!
http://www.exoticplantbooks.com/detail/?product_id=168
However, on the matter of pronunciation there can't be more than 10 pages if even that many. It more or less says that you can't insist on any one pronunciation, but does it with much more advanced and intelligent sounding language than me. Ha ha!
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
Re: CactiGuide.com Big Picture Project
I agree that for the most part that there few hard and fast rules that dictate one way to say a Latin name. Keep in mind that the truest way to pronounce the name would be like the ancient Romans or Greeks, however aside from a small number of classical Greek and Latin specialists, no one can speak the language like the ancients. Where you come from has an effect on the way you say a name. For instance, the suffix "-aceae" denotes a plant family (e.g. Cactaceae, Aiozaceae, Apocynaceae). In the US most botanists pronounce that ending as "A-C-EE", however in Europe they tend to say "EE-C-EE". From what I understand, the Romans would have said something closer to "Ahk-EE-I"
However, a rule of thumb I learned from several taxonomists I've known and worked with is to pronounce all the vowels. For example, while most people pronounce Aloe as "Al-O" I and other taxonomists I know tend to pronounce it "Al-O-EE". There is nothing wrong with saying Aloe, it might be a little more correct to pronounce the E.
The most important rule is to pronounce it in a way that people around you can understand. Communication takes precedence over everything else!
However, a rule of thumb I learned from several taxonomists I've known and worked with is to pronounce all the vowels. For example, while most people pronounce Aloe as "Al-O" I and other taxonomists I know tend to pronounce it "Al-O-EE". There is nothing wrong with saying Aloe, it might be a little more correct to pronounce the E.
The most important rule is to pronounce it in a way that people around you can understand. Communication takes precedence over everything else!
I'm now selling plants on Ebay. Check it out! Kyle's Plants
Re: CactiGuide.com Big Picture Project
Yep, good points... By the way, I pronounce "aceae" as " A-SEE-A" - with "A" pronounced as in the word "say". Pronouncing every letter would be "A-SEE-EE-A-EE" or at least "A-SEE-A-EE"
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
- Peterthecactusguy
- Posts: 8862
- Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2010 7:49 am
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Re: CactiGuide.com Big Picture Project
Cact a c I is how I would say that, ae = I in Latin, at least that is what I remember from 5 years of Latin, and I still can't pronounce most of the cacti names.
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
Re: CactiGuide.com Big Picture Project
Two flowers on my 44 year old Cereus jamacaru.
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turbinicarpus pseudomacrochele
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