I was just about to post here asking if anyone knew of an online guide
to phonetic pronunciation of plant names. After many years of gardening,
I still manage to embarrass myself in front of friends and colleagues
with some of my pronunciation

Anyway, before posting I did another "google" and came up with this:-

http://tinyurl.com/cexua

.... which I hope someone else might find useful.

--
Paul Giverin

British Jet Engine Website http://www.britjet.co.uk

Paul Giverin wrote:
I was just about to post here asking if anyone knew of an online guide
to phonetic pronunciation of plant names. After many years of gardening,
I still manage to embarrass myself in front of friends and colleagues
with some of my pronunciation

Anyway, before posting I did another "google" and came up with this:-

http://tinyurl.com/cexua

... which I hope someone else might find useful.

Thanks Paul, I find that useful. For years I thought it was "cotton
easter" until someone put me right! :-)

--
All replies to this email address are deleted on receipt.

Common sense, not common market.

On 29/7/05 13:57, in article , "michael adams"
wrote:


"Paul Giverin" wrote in message
...

I was just about to post here asking if anyone knew of an online guide
to phonetic pronunciation of plant names. After many years of gardening,
I still manage to embarrass myself in front of friends and colleagues
with some of my pronunciation





Anyway, before posting I did another "google" and came up with this:-

http://tinyurl.com/cexua

... which I hope someone else might find useful.

...

This is maybe one of the main benefits of listening to "Gardeners'
Question Time" on a regular basis, as the "correct" pronunciations,
or at least in the past maybe, Geoffrey Smith's version of some of them,
are absorbed almost subconsciously. Which can work the other way
around as well, when trying to find things like "ceanothus" in
catalogues, confident it must start with an "S".


But 'correct' depends on where and when people learned Latin. Think of
'lichen' - to some it's pronounced 'liken' and to others 'litchen'. Some
say "Nyefofeea" and others 'Nipoffeea" for Kniphofia. I say CLEMatis, my
husband says CleMAYtis etc. etc.
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

"Sacha" wrote


But 'correct' depends on where and when people learned Latin. Think of
'lichen' - to some it's pronounced 'liken' and to others 'litchen'. Some
say "Nyefofeea" and others 'Nipoffeea" for Kniphofia. I say CLEMatis, my
husband says CleMAYtis etc. etc.
Sacha

And I say Knip-Fol-ia :~)
Jenny

On 29/7/05 14:37, in article , "JennyC"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote


But 'correct' depends on where and when people learned Latin. Think of
'lichen' - to some it's pronounced 'liken' and to others 'litchen'. Some
say "Nyefofeea" and others 'Nipoffeea" for Kniphofia. I say CLEMatis, my
husband says CleMAYtis etc. etc.
Sacha

And I say Knip-Fol-ia :~)
Jenny


Where does the 'l' come from!?
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 13:57:14 +0100, "michael adams"
wrote:

"Paul Giverin" wrote in message
...

I was just about to post here asking if anyone knew of an online guide
to phonetic pronunciation of plant names. After many years of gardening,
I still manage to embarrass myself in front of friends and colleagues
with some of my pronunciation

Anyway, before posting I did another "google" and came up with this:-

http://tinyurl.com/cexua

... which I hope someone else might find useful.


This is maybe one of the main benefits of listening to "Gardeners'
Question Time" on a regular basis, as the "correct" pronunciations,
or at least in the past maybe, Geoffrey Smith's version of some of them,
are absorbed almost subconsciously. Which can work the other way
around as well, when trying to find things like "ceanothus" in
catalogues, confident it must start with an "S".

Thanks for that link: very useful.
Bob Flowerdew could do with reading that site, and also learning a bit
about what the latin names mean. He has so much knowledge, but NOT
about plant names!

Pam in Bristol

On 29/7/05 15:01, in article , "michael adams"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
.uk...
On 29/7/05 13:57, in article , "michael
adams"
wrote:


"Paul Giverin" wrote in message
...

I was just about to post here asking if anyone knew of an online guide
to phonetic pronunciation of plant names. After many years of
gardening,
I still manage to embarrass myself in front of friends and colleagues
with some of my pronunciation





Anyway, before posting I did another "google" and came up with this:-

http://tinyurl.com/cexua

... which I hope someone else might find useful.

...

This is maybe one of the main benefits of listening to "Gardeners'
Question Time" on a regular basis, as the "correct" pronunciations,
or at least in the past maybe, Geoffrey Smith's version of some of them,
are absorbed almost subconsciously. Which can work the other way
around as well, when trying to find things like "ceanothus" in
catalogues, confident it must start with an "S".


But 'correct' depends on where and when people learned Latin.

...

Indeed. Hence the qutation marks.

I very much doubt whether Geoffrey Smith or Fed Downham to name
but two ever learned too much Latin to start with. Well maybe
Geoffrey Smith did, but I'm sure he always used the English name and
pronounciation Saxifrage - as in greengage rather than the strict
Latin Saxigraga, i.e as in rajah. I'm sure I remember this coming
up one time on GQT - or maybe it was the other way round.

I suspect most of us pronounce things as we first heard them. So if your
first experience is of 'Nepeeeeeta' instead of 'NePETa', or even 'NEpeta' it
will remain so for evermore - to you.
...

Think of
'lichen' - to some it's pronounced 'liken' and to others 'litchen'. Some
say "Nyefofeea" and others 'Nipoffeea" for Kniphofia. I say CLEMatis, my
husband says CleMAYtis etc. etc.

...

Apparently some people pronouce golf as "goff."

I pronounce that as 'pretentious' - and all those 'goffers' who wish to do
so may howl at me for my prejudices!
snip
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 14:23:07 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

But 'correct' depends on where and when people learned Latin. Think of
'lichen' - to some it's pronounced 'liken' and to others 'litchen'. Some
say "Nyefofeea" and others 'Nipoffeea" for Kniphofia. I say CLEMatis, my
husband says CleMAYtis etc. etc.

See... http://www.flowers.org.uk/flowers/fa.../kniphofia.htm

GQT again; John Cushnie always says clem-AR-tis. He also once said
"nip-fofia".
Monty is one of the few on TV who usually gets it right. Joe Swift
could do with a lesson or two, too!


Pam in Bristol

"Paul Giverin" wrote
I was just about to post here asking if anyone knew of an online guide to
phonetic pronunciation of plant names. After many years of gardening, I
still manage to embarrass myself in front of friends and colleagues with
some of my pronunciation

Anyway, before posting I did another "google" and came up with this:-

http://tinyurl.com/cexua

... which I hope someone else might find useful.

Thanks Paul, I bought a book many years ago to help with the pronunciation
of plant names after I came across an orchid called " Coelogyne cristata"
and realised I hadn't a hope of making a reasonable stab at it. ( correctly
koy-LO-gin-ee but commonly see-LO-gie-nee KRIS-tah-ta)

Problem then is, do you pronounce it the correct Latin way, with "C" being
hard, or use the commonly accepted way with a soft "C"? :-)

Still, if everyone understands what you are on about there isn't a problem.
--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

In article ,
"Bob Hobden" writes:
|
| Thanks Paul, I bought a book many years ago to help with the pronunciation
| of plant names after I came across an orchid called " Coelogyne cristata"
| and realised I hadn't a hope of making a reasonable stab at it. ( correctly
| koy-LO-gin-ee but commonly see-LO-gie-nee KRIS-tah-ta)
|
| Problem then is, do you pronounce it the correct Latin way, with "C" being
| hard, or use the commonly accepted way with a soft "C"? :-)
|
| Still, if everyone understands what you are on about there isn't a problem.

Try Passiflora xiikzodz. I kid you not.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

michael adams wrote:


Apparently some people pronouce golf as "goff."

That took me straight back to school in 1956. In the art class we had
to design a pub sign, I did a stylised golfer and the name "The Golfer's
Arms", the art master altered it to "The Goffer's Arms", told me the l
was dropper. Just look up the Oxford dictionary, that spells it
"Golfer", and pronounces the l, ah well and I thought my teachers were
all perfect! Never mind I enjoyed the trip!


--
All replies to this email address are deleted on receipt.

Common sense, not common market.

The message k
from Sacha contains these words:

On 29/7/05 14:37, in article , "JennyC"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote


But 'correct' depends on where and when people learned Latin. Think of
'lichen' - to some it's pronounced 'liken' and to others 'litchen'.
Some
say "Nyefofeea" and others 'Nipoffeea" for Kniphofia. I say CLEMatis, my
husband says CleMAYtis etc. etc.
Sacha

And I say Knip-Fol-ia :~)

Is that the latin for "stealing a cutting" ?

Janet

"Nick Maclaren" wrote after

"Bob Hobden" Wrote:
|
| Thanks Paul, I bought a book many years ago to help with the
pronunciation
| of plant names after I came across an orchid called " Coelogyne
cristata"
| and realised I hadn't a hope of making a reasonable stab at it. (
correctly
| koy-LO-gin-ee but commonly see-LO-gie-nee KRIS-tah-ta)
|
| Problem then is, do you pronounce it the correct Latin way, with "C"
being
| hard, or use the commonly accepted way with a soft "C"? :-)
|
| Still, if everyone understands what you are on about there isn't a
problem.

Try Passiflora xiikzodz. I kid you not.

At a guess Pa-si-flo-ra zeek-zods ?

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"Paul Giverin" wrote
Thanks Paul, I bought a book many years ago to help with the pronunciation
of plant names after I came across an orchid called " Coelogyne cristata"
and realised I hadn't a hope of making a reasonable stab at it. (
correctly
koy-LO-gin-ee but commonly see-LO-gie-nee KRIS-tah-ta)

Problem then is, do you pronounce it the correct Latin way, with "C" being
hard, or use the commonly accepted way with a soft "C"? :-)

Still, if everyone understands what you are on about there isn't a
problem.
--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

Well as I understand it the original setting up of plant names in Latin it
was agreed internationally that the pronunciation of the Latin words would
reflect the way the locals in a particular country would pronounce the same
letter combinations.
With such huge regional variations in this country over simple words I have
no idea how that was supposed to work, I am thinking of the word water,
half the country would rhyme it with cat while I and the other half stick an
R in it and rhyme it with war! Fat chance that we were all going to agree on
Latin plant names :~)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 14:01:00 GMT, Pam Moore
wrote:

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 13:57:14 +0100, "michael adams"
wrote:

"Paul Giverin" wrote in message
...

I was just about to post here asking if anyone knew of an online guide
to phonetic pronunciation of plant names. After many years of gardening,
I still manage to embarrass myself in front of friends and colleagues
with some of my pronunciation

Anyway, before posting I did another "google" and came up with this:-

http://tinyurl.com/cexua

... which I hope someone else might find useful.


This is maybe one of the main benefits of listening to "Gardeners'
Question Time" on a regular basis, as the "correct" pronunciations,
or at least in the past maybe, Geoffrey Smith's version of some of them,
are absorbed almost subconsciously. Which can work the other way
around as well, when trying to find things like "ceanothus" in
catalogues, confident it must start with an "S".

Thanks for that link: very useful.
Bob Flowerdew could do with reading that site, and also learning a bit
about what the latin names mean. He has so much knowledge, but NOT
about plant names!

One of Bob's unusual pronunciations is lonickera!
Pam in Bristol


Pam in Bristol