Taxacom: Latin

Tue Jul 4 01:55:13 CDT 2023

It is not codified. But it is recommended. See smAppendix B recommendation
6:

6. The scientific names of genus- or species-group taxa should be printed
in a type-face (font) different from that used in the text; such names are
usually printed in italics, which should not be used for names of higher
taxa. Species-group names always begin with a lower-case letter, and when
cited should always be preceded by a generic name (or an abbreviation of
one); names of all supraspecific taxa begin with an upper-case (capital)
letter.

Of course scientific names can be English. Many languages are now used for
name formation; my colleagues and I frequently use Malagasy, for instance,
because we work on the herpetofauna of Madagascar. These are simply defined
as invariable nouns in apposition. You can also use arbitrary combinations
of letters, and pretend they’re not English. This is also a neat way for
people to not have to bother with figuring out declensions; these names are
stable and invariable, as long as they’re defined explicitly.
I personally found your example hilarious, and look forward to seeing it
officially designated.
Cheers,
Mark

On Tue 4. Jul 2023 at 08:33, Annemarie OHLER via Taxacom <
taxacom at lists.ku.edu> wrote:

> See: https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iczn.org%2Fthe-code%2Fthe-code-online%2F%3Farticle%3D5&data=05%7C01%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7Cc9dc2d8041f34a1a5d2a08db7c5ba56f%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638240506553438415%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MWH0EMQmeQID8JaiVturVQS4HjoPcZg99xSGaAhRI8s%3D&reserved=0
>
> ----- Mail original -----
> De: "Stephen Thorpe via Taxacom" <taxacom at lists.ku.edu>
> À: taxacom at lists.ku.edu, "Glenn Shea" <glenn.shea at sydney.edu.au>
> Envoyé: Mardi 4 Juillet 2023 08:26:20
> Objet: Re: Taxacom: Latin
>
> It seems that there may be a problem with the current code, in that it may
> not explicitly require adjectival names to be Latin or latinised classical
> Greek, but seems to allow any language, including English. This could be
> problematic! For one thing, if English isn't latinised, then there would
> seem to be no reason to use italics. I am having difficulty finding
> anything in the Code which requires the use of italics. If scientific names
> can be simply English, then all sorts of nonsense is possible, like:
> Antwithabighead andlonglegs
> Stephen
>     On Tuesday, 4 July 2023 at 04:17:37 pm NZST, Glenn Shea via Taxacom <
> taxacom at lists.ku.edu> wrote:
>
>  I'm not sure I see anything in the Code that precludes use of simple
> English for names. Sure, use of the names of people as nouns in apposition
> is recommended against, due to the potential confusion with authorship, but
> where does it say it is not possible to use simple English terms? It seems
> to be only a widely accepted convention. We've got New Guinea Tok Pisin
> names being created, from a language with English roots (in herpetology,
> the species Carlia ailanpalai, and the genus Palaia, and we came close
> (nomen nudum due to the untimely death of the author and a manuscript that
> went through after his death) to having Liklikpalaia, all based on Tok
> Pisin lizard, with variously island (ailan) and small (liklik) being
> added), so I don't see much of a step to having "blackhead" or "redwinged"
> (or even "thicc"!) being used as specific epithets, which would avoid any
> need for gender agreement. Not sure I support it, but I can't see the Code
> preventing it.
>
> But if we're at the stage of having taxonomists not knowing Latin (I can
> understand that very few taxonomists have an training in Ancient Greek),
> yet with Latin names (or Latinised/transliterated Greek names) being
> preferred by the Code, presumably modern taxonomists are having to go to
> Latin dictionaries (either hard copy or online) to come up with the vast
> majority of names being coined annually. Those same sources will tell you
> whether the name is a noun or adjective. Many of the hard copy Latin
> dictionaries come with a short Latin grammar at the front. So not sure I
> see that there is any great step involved in completing the process in
> Latin for adjectival names to have gender agreement, either for those
> taxonomists creating new names, or for those taxonomists who need to change
> generic combinations. The main pity is that there is no requirement in the
> Code for an etymology for the name to be provided, including such a
> statement.
>
> And for those who argue that suffixes are not important, I remind you of
> the unfortunate situation where the two endemic frogs on Fiji bear the
> somewhat confusing names Cornufer (or Platymantis) vitianus and C. (or P.)
> vitiensis.
>
> Regards,
> Glenn
>
> Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2023 21:28:44 +0000 (UTC)
> From: Stephen Thorpe <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz<mailto:
> stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>>
> To: Scott Thomson <scott.thomson321 at gmail.com<mailto:
> scott.thomson321 at gmail.com>>
> Cc: Taxacom Mailinglist <taxacom at lists.ku.edu<mailto:taxacom at lists.ku.edu>>,
> Raymond Hoser The
>         Snakeman <viper007 at live.com.au<mailto:viper007 at live.com.au>>
> Subject: Re: Taxacom: Latin
> Message-ID: <2142282058.1577847.1688333324329 at mail.yahoo.com<mailto:
> 2142282058.1577847.1688333324329 at mail.yahoo.com>>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> Scott, nobody said it was the rewuired language for nomenclature. I said
> that the system is based on Latin or latinised Greek, which is true. There
> are caveats, of course. Names can be based on non Latin or Greek nouns, but
> not adjectives. For example, if there was a place called Bighead, then a
> species epithet could be bigheadensis. Maybe it could be used as a noun in
> apposition, to get the species epithet bighead, but this would not be
> recommended. However, if a species has a big head, then you can't use the
> species epithet bighead, you must use something like megacephala (or
> megacephalum or megacephalus, depending on the gender of the combined genus
> epithet).Stephen
>     On Monday, 3 July 2023 at 02:16:56 am NZST, Scott Thomson <
> scott.thomson321 at gmail.com<mailto:scott.thomson321 at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> I do not think Latin or latinised Greek is the required language of the
> Code for nomenclature. What I think is more being implied is that we are to
> use the Latin alphabet for all names thus avoiding letters such as the
> Portuguese ? and the many others in various languages. There are rules of
> name formation which apply when you use a greek or latin word but there is
> no insistence that you use Latin or Greek words. There are many names and
> over an extended period that are not Greek or Latin derivatives. Chitra is
> a 19th century Turtle genus it is from Hindi. Names are to be a combination
> of letters that is pronounceable and in the latin alphabet, that is the
> major requirement.
> Cheers Scott
>
>
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> Nurturing nuance while assailing ambiguity and admiring alliteration for
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> Nurturing nuance while assailing ambiguity and admiring alliteration for
> about 36 years, 1987-2023.
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> Nurturing nuance while assailing ambiguity and admiring alliteration for
> about 36 years, 1987-2023.
>
-- 

*- - -Dr Mark D. Scherz, PhD (Dr rer. nat.)*
*Curator of Herpetology & **Assistant Professor of Vertebrate Zoology*
Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen
IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group
IUCN SSC Chameleon Specialist Group
<mark.scherz at gmail.com>
Skype: mark.scherz
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