orchid pronounciation

[Shadeflower]

so this is about orchid pronounciation and what I have heard on youtube I didn't like.

I am sure I am wrong about this but I hate some of the pronouniations I have heard.

Like aluminum should be pronounced aluminium.

a potatoe is a potatoe not a potato

Algae is algee not al-jee.

But this continues into the orchid world like the phalaenopsis Tetraspis for example. I have heard people pronounce it like Tetrass-pis pronouncing it similar to how a tresspasser would be pronounced whereas I much more like to think of it as a Tetra-spiss.

The same with lots of Cattleya names. The worst offender I hate hearing is a Jenmaniayayayayayaiaia

I pronounce it Jen -manny

no ai ai ai at the end.

It's probably the same with some many others, a forbesii should be a forbesy not a forbesiay

The same can be said about the dendrobium bigibbum. When I first heard I I thought it was pronounced biggi-bum but it is pronounced like a bi-colour
it is a bi-gibbum

I'm probably wrong about the pronounciation of the cattleya's and they are prounced like someone just stepped on your toes ay ay ay but I don't like it lol.

how would people pronounce the laelia lundii?
Would you pronounce it laelia lundiay?

[estación seca]

Botanical Latin has no official pronunciation. So long as people understand what's being said it's all acceptable. This is per a university botany professor.

Most common pronunciations of Latin organism names make Greek and Latin scholars roll with laughter. This is per a classics scholar.

[Mountaineer370]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Botanical Latin has no official pronunciation. So long as people understand what's being said it's all acceptable. This is per a university botany professor.

All I can say is, oh, thank goodness! Having never received any formal education in Latin, or Greek, for that matter, I do my best but I'm often self-conscious in attempting to pronounce certain things and worried about making a mistake. I will just try to relax about it from now on and stop worrying.

[K-Sci]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Botanical Latin has no official pronunciation.

Yes it does. Its Latin. The impression that there s no set pronunciation is because the people doing the naming don't always know the Latin sounds. That's what I was taught in college biology classes, anyway.
-Keith

---------- Post added at 01:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:57 PM ----------

Originally Posted by claypot

Youngsters in UK also seem to punctuate everything with "like" between every few words for no particular reason

I used to think it was a valley girl habit, but there are two guys where I work who get talking about their latest video game experiences, and its, like, every other word.

I hate to say it, but young people these days are a lot less well-educated than they were 50 years ago. Terrible problems with logic are also common.

It used to be you'd go to the store an buy malathion or chlordane. Now its all "insecticide." It can be hard to find out if there's anything it it that will do anything. I've notice that the ratios in fertilizer are starting to be left off too. It's just 'plant food'.


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FWIW, here's my post after running it though a valley speak translator.

I used to think it was like, ya know, a valley chick habit, like, wow but like, there are two dudes where I work who get talkin' about their latest video game experiences, oh, baby and its, man like, fer shure every other word. I hate to say it, man but young guys these days are a lot less well-educated than they were 50 years ago. Terrible problems with logic are also common. It used to be you'd go to thuh store an buy malathion or chlordane. Now its all "insecticide" and it can be like wow! hard to find out if there's anythin' it it that will do anythin'. I've notice that thuh ratios in fertilizer are startin' to be left off too. It's just 'plant food'.

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Or if you prefer Jive

I used t'dink it wuz likes, ya know, some valley chick habit, likes, wow but likes, dere are two dudes where ah' wo'k who get rapin' about deir latest video game 'spuh'iences, oh, baby and its, dude likes, fa' shure every oda' wo'd. ah' hate t'say it, dude but yung guys dese days are some lot less sheeit-educated dan dey wuz 50 years ago. Terrible problems wid logic are also common. 'S coo', bro. It used t'be ya''d go t'duh sto'e an buy maladion o' chlo'dane. What it is, Mama. Right On! Now its all "insecticide" and it kin be likes wow. Right On! hard t'find out if dere's anydin' it it dat gotss'ta do anydin'. I've notice dat duh ratios in fertiliza' are startin' t'be left off too. It's plum 'plant food'.



-Keith

---------- Post added at 01:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:12 PM ----------

Originally Posted by rbarata

I have my own theory...with the internet and easy access to all sort of information, kids don't need to apply any effort to access to it. This has result in a lack of competences to investigate and use their mind creatively.
...

Critical thinking skills have been all but lost giving way to assessments based on first impressions and emotion. The latter leads to narcissism and an inability to accept differing views. Without applying logic, reason, and critical thinking, people fail to get the outcomes they want in their personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, the academic world and journalism have also been infected.



-Keith

[Roberta]

Reminds me of a friend/professor/orchid expert when asked how to pronounce "Disa" ... in the US, most people say it "Deesa", in South Africa (where both the plants and the professor are from) it is pronounsed "Daysa" . They are notoriously difficult to keep alive... his comment, with a hint of disgust and tragedy in his voice... "Deesa, Daysa, dead..."

[Ray]

First of all, the word is “pronunciation”, not “pronouciation”.

I never have understood the extra “i” in aluminium, as it’s not even in the word, according to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, but it’s just something we accept.

Having been exposed to Classical Latin, and a bit of “church Latin”, botanical Latin seems to be more of a “Up yours. This is how I pronounce it.” environment.

To me, there should be no soft consonants and vowels should be “ah, eh, ee, oh, oo”, making Laelia lundii, “LYE-lay-ah LOOND-ee-ee”.

Then we get into the complexification of using peoples’ names (like Lund) in the botanical expressions.

Two of my favorites are neofinetia and gomesa.

The first is named after a French botanist, Finet (pr. Fee-NAY), so that ought to be “Nee-oh-Fee-NAY-ee-ah” but never is.

Gomesa is often pronounced “Go-may-sah”, but is names after a guy whose name rhymes with “homes”, so should be “Gomes-ah”.

[Roberta]

Actually, the Gomes of Gomesa was Brazilian. So it would be pronounced Gom-es or actually Gom-ez (the Portuguese equivalent of the Spanish Gomez, I leave it to our Portuguese-speaking members to refine this). A lot of people in the US with the last name Gomes (Portuguese or Brazilian ancestry) have Anglicized their names to Gomes rhyming with homes (either because they got tired of correcting people mispronouncing it, or wanted to "blend in"), but that would not fly in Brazil. (To my ears, hearing the genus pronounced "Gomes-a" is fingernails on a blackboard, and I'm not even Latina, it hurts when a heritage is denied.)

[estación seca]

Hoping rbarata or JungleJo comment, but I believe an initial G in Portuguese is pronounced like an initial H in English, not the hard G of Spanish.

In French adding a vowel after a terminal consonant generally converts the consonant from silent to pronounced. So if Neofinetia were a French word the T would be pronounced.

All this illustrates the idea botanical Latin is an artificial language with no rules for pronunciation.

[rbarata]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Hoping rbarata or JungleJo comment, but I believe an initial G in Portuguese is pronounced like an initial H in English, not the hard G of Spanish.

The G in Portuguese is spelled as in Spanish and Brazillian Portuguese.
See the links below page for examples of the surname "Gomes" in the three pronunciations:

Brazilian
Spanish

For European Portuguese, see this video at 3:51 mark:

How to pronounce Portuguese family names + naming conventions - YouTube

For the Gomesa, for Portuguese (Brazilian and European) the "s" is spelled like a "z" (like some english words such as "taser".
See this video at 1:01 mark

ORQUIDEA GOMESA SEMELHANTE DIFERENCA APRENDA A CULTIVAR - YouTube

[Keysguy]

complexification

And there is our "word of the day" winner.
Nicely played Ray!