# pronunciation of scientific names



## RAZZ-MCFC (Jan 25, 2010)

anybody know anywhere i can go to find out all the correct ways to pronounce the scientific names?

cheers


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## David L (Jul 13, 2009)

I've always found that with inverts you 'say it as you see it'

Poe - sil - oth - er - ee -ah
Gramm -a - stohl -ah
Brakk - ee - pelm - ah
P(i)t - eh - rinch - ee - lus
Ah - vic - yule - ah - ree -ah

(P) Sahm - oh - pee - hus
Hap - loh - pel - mah

If you cant get one 100% correct, make it up... I do:2thumb:


they are multi syllablic, but not too difficult.


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## RAZZ-MCFC (Jan 25, 2010)

is the poe in poecilotheria said like pee?


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## tarantulamatt (Nov 12, 2009)

lol i make them up at bit too i can say most but theres one i really cant say

*Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens lol*


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

tarantulamatt said:


> lol i make them up at bit too i can say most but theres one i really cant say
> 
> *Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens lol*


"lol" being a new subspecies right? :lol2:

Cro* - mat - a - pelma cyan - o -pew-beh-sens

*With an "o" sound like in "Crow".

There's not really meant to be a correct way to pronounce because we don't know how to pronounce latin where some of the words come from (mixed with greek and others to make it easy :roll: ). Then again, there are definitely ways to pronounce them that take precedence so that you avoid looking like a noob when you are talking to more experienced researchers / hobbyists. All part of the fun really!

It could be worse, working on Tetragnathids you could encounter _Dolichognatha quadrituberculata_...


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## Chaika (Jun 5, 2009)

I tend to pronounce scientific names in an English way, so all of the letter combinations sound as they would if they were in an english word. There's probably no correct way of doing it so as long as people understand what species you are talking about then I don't think it really matters 



GRB said:


> There's not really meant to be a correct way to pronounce because we don't know how to pronounce latin...


I used to think that but after looking it up recently and I'm beginning to think that this is a bit of a myth... Check this out: 
http://www.ai.uga.edu/mc/latinpro.pdf
How to Pronounce Latin


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## Pleco07 (Aug 15, 2007)

Not sure about there being a _correct_ way of saying them as each person says words differently but when I started in the hobby, I just watched a load of decent youtube videos. They at least give you an idea of what the words sound like, so you can kind of get a grasp on them


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## iiisecondcreep (Oct 29, 2007)

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/spiders-inverts/297729-pronunciation-meaning.html

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/spiders-inverts/281849-how-do-pronounce-poecilotheria.html


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## _TiMiSdRuNk_ (Aug 27, 2008)

Pleco07 said:


> Not sure about there being a _correct_ way of saying them as each person says words differently but when I started in the hobby, I just watched a load of decent youtube videos. They at least give you an idea of what the words sound like, so you can kind of get a grasp on them


But how do you know the people in the youtube clips are saying it right..... :gasp:


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## naz_pixie (Oct 6, 2008)

i ahve this problem too.. because i learn pretty much everything from reading be it forums/websites/books ect i have never heard the words being said.. so when on the rare occasion i actualy talk to someone else in person who also knows abouts reps i feel a bit foolish cose i say lots of words wrong...


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## My plague (Aug 15, 2009)

naz_pixie said:


> i ahve this problem too.. because i learn pretty much everything from reading be it forums/websites/books ect i have never heard the words being said.. so when on the rare occasion i actualy talk to someone else in person who also knows abouts reps i feel a bit foolish cose i say lots of words wrong...


 Same :lol2:

One I want to understand is _L.violaceopes _


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## David L (Jul 13, 2009)

Listening to people at the shows... they usually know what they are talking about

Pronouncing them isn't as hard as spelling them, I reckon... I got three and still can never get Poecililth... Poecilloth... Poecilath... Ornamentals properly...

Plus don't listen to people on You Tube as they cant pronounce anything properly... because they are usually American... :whistling2: WHAT??? Too Controversial?


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## Pleco07 (Aug 15, 2007)

_TiMiSdRuNk_ said:


> But how do you know the people in the youtube clips are saying it right..... :gasp:


Watch enough of them and you get a general grasp of how to pronouce them. 



David L said:


> Plus don't listen to people on You Tube as they cant pronounce anything properly... because they are usually American... :whistling2: WHAT??? Too Controversial?


 I dont find theres a much difference even from American vids

Being a total hermit the only person I talk to about T's is my OH who calls them all yukky spiders :2wallbang:


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

My plague said:


> Same :lol2:
> 
> One I want to understand is _L.violaceopes _


vee-oh-lassie-OH-pees (I think) :lol2:


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## nick gilchrist (Oct 16, 2008)

David L said:


> I've always found that with inverts you 'say it as you see it'
> 
> Poe - sil - oth - er - ee -ah
> Gramm -a - stohl -ah
> ...


 
bigger -dee - bong -yerr -not- rong !: victory:


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## clockworkorange (May 30, 2007)

Just to add my two cents:

There is, in fact, no "proper" way to pronounce latin names. Through the latin literature, one can learn the grammar and vocabulary and therefore read it without any confusion. However, nobody knows how the words were pronounced in Ancient Rome, and the pronounciation has probably greatly varied during the few centuries it was spoken. As English is not my first language, I tend to pronounce all these names rather differently than most of you, and indeeed, it leads to some funny confusions with my colleagues in the lab...

So no worries, there is no proper way... 

Cheers,

Mika


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## RAZZ-MCFC (Jan 25, 2010)

cheers for all the responses people


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