Algae, Fungi, Binomial Nomenclature, and the Search for “Correct” Pronunciations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6032093 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Dale F Coye (Thomas Edison State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 100 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 74-92 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Speech (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-1283 • E-ISSN: 1527-2133 |
| Publisher | Duke University Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1215/00031283-11466566 |
| OpenAlex | W4400485013 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 5 |
The spelling of Latin plurals in words like fungi and algae produces pronunciation variants and spirited arguments over correctness. Because the experts in specialty areas could be considered the arbiters of terminology standards, American and British biologists in several fields were surveyed to determine whether historical standard pronunciations of certain words have been maintained or lost. Results indicate that in some cases traditional pronunciations are still the standard in these discourse communities, while in others North America and the United Kingdom have diverged. In addition, newer spelling pronunciations have come into play on both sides of the Atlantic, even among these experts, with older forms threatened with extinction. Binomial nomenclature is also subject to variation as a long-standing debate over the use of anglicized or classical Latin and Greek challenges the need for any standard pronunciation at all
Binomial (polynomial · Biology · Botany · Nomenclature · Statistics · Taxonomy (biology · Historical Linguistics and Language Studies · Lexicography and Language Studies · Linguistics and language evolution · Mathematics
| Highly cited | No |
|---|