Pronunciation of Scientific Names
They tell us that Latin is a dead language, and so it is. No one knows how it sounded in ancient Rome. But we’d have a hard time understanding one another if we each made up our own pronunciations, so guidelines have evolved.
After hearing it spoken, you start to pick up on a cadence or rhythm, and when you say a name out loud, it’s easier to remember — so we are grateful to these people for demonstrating the pronunciation of scientific names.
To hear them, click the “play” buttons beside Latin names throughout the website.
- Wayne Bateman, Scotts Lawn Service
- Christi Bruner, Carolina Wild Native Plant Nursery
- Beth Flokstra, Garden Genesis
- Jan Haldeman, Erskine College
- Margie Hunter, Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee
- Charles Horn, Newberry College
- Ron Lance, Big Ridge Preserve
- Tim Lee, South Carolina Parks Service
- John Manion, Curator of the Kaul Wildflower Garden, Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Larry Mellichamp, University of North Carolina / UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens
- John Nelson, University of South Carolina / A.C. Moore Herbarium
- Joseph Pollard, Furman University
- Doug Rayner, Wofford College
- Emily B. Sessa, Director of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium at the New York Botanical Garden
- Bill Stringer, Clemson University
- Lisa Wagner, South Carolina Botanical Garden
- David Zaparanick, City of Atlanta
To read more about the pronunciation of scientific names (including some of the various schools of thought), turn to page xxxvii of A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina, and check out the links below:
California Plant Names:
Latin and Greek Meanings and Derivations — A Dictionary of Botanical Etymology
http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/
Southern California Wildflowers — Guide to the Pronunciation of Plant Names
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/pronunciationguide.html
Pronunciation of Vascular Plant Genera & Families of New England
http://www.ray-a.com/BotPron/
