Aquatic Mammals 2001, 27.2, 183–195 A guide to the pronunciation and meaning of cetacean taxonomic names D. M. Ranneft1, H. Eaker2 and R. W. Davis3 1Episcopal High School, 4650 Bissonnet, Bellaire, TX 77401 USA 24730 Waring Street, Houston TX 77027 USA 3Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University, Galveston, Texas 77551 USA Abstract panies attempts to pronounce these Latin names. Even after years as a biologist, one often hesitates Taxonomic names, frequently made-up of Greek before pronouncing taxonomic names in front of and/or Latin elements, are mysterious and difficult colleagues or a class of students. to pronounce for those who never studied ancient Today, we rarely hear Latin and ancient Greek languages. This simple guide is designed to help spoken. Even scholars may never know exactly how English speakers understand and pronounce the it sounded in ancient times; however, teachers rec- scientific names used to classify cetaceans. Teachers ognize certain rules of pronunciation. These rules of Latin and Greek recognize certain rules of pro- may not be appropriate in hybrid compounds that nunciation. These rules may not be appropriate in have English, as well as Latin and/or Greek hybrid compounds that have English, as well as elements, but they are definitely acceptable for the Greek and/or Latin elements, but they are accept- pronunciations of taxonomic names that are purely able for the pronunciation of taxonomic names that Latin or Greek. There are also traditional rules for are purely Greek or Latin. There are also traditional anglicizing Latin and latinizing Greek. Burriss and rules for anglicizing Latin and latinizing Greek. For Casson (1949) set forth the main rules of anglicizing English speakers who have no interest in Greek or Latin in Latin and Greek in Current Use. They Latin pronunciations, knowledge of the anglicized maintained that in general, Latin long- and short- pronunciations, and pronunciations found in vowels are pronounced like the corresponding Webster’s Third International Dictionary, as well as English long- and short-vowels. Latin consonants knowledge of the meaning of Greek and/or Latin generally are pronounced like their English coun- elements, should be helpful. The Appendix shows terparts; however, ‘c’ and ‘g’ are soft before ‘e’, ‘i’, how orders, suborders, superfamilies, families, and ‘ae’, ‘oe’, and ‘y’. The diphthongs ‘ae’ and ‘oe’ are subfamilies may be distinguished by their endings. pronounced like the ‘ee’ of beet, ‘au’ as in caught, and ‘eu’ as in Teuton. Key words: pronunciation, Latin name, scientific For English speakers, who have no interest in name, cetacean, taxonomy. Latin or Greek pronunciations, knowledge of the pronunciation found in Webster’s Third New Inter- Introduction national Dictionary or an anglicized pronunciation derived from traditional rules, as well as knowledge For students and scholars who did not study Latin of Latin and Greek elements, should be helpful. or Greek in high school or college, taxonomic Such knowledge gives the conscientious speaker names often are both mysterious and challenging: added assurance in public. In cases where the mysterious in their etymology and challenging in derivations are neither Latin or Greek, and are not their pronunciation. Zoologists learn early the use found in Webster’s Dictionary, the anglicized pro- of the Linnaean hierarchy (Linnaeus, 1758), also nunciation is an educated guess. We offer a simple known as the binomial classification system, to guide that is ‘‘user-friendly’’. We adopted the pro- rank and name species of organisms, although they nunciation key to be found in the NBC Handbook are often left to discover on their own that Latin of Pronunciation and not Webster’s key, which is suffixes and inflected endings of Latin declensions based on a considerably more complex phonetic are used to distinguish orders, suborders, families, system and syllabication. subfamilies etc. And then, there is the inevitable The main purpose of this guide is to help those awkwardness and uncertainty that often accom- who did not study Latin and Greek gain a modicum 2001 EAAM 184 D. M. Ranneft et al. of self-confidence in the pronunciation of the taxo- Medieval Latin compiled by R. Latham (London: nomic names of whales and dolphins. In preparing Oxford University Press, 1975). this guide, we received a variety of reactions from biologists as to its merits. Some thought it interest- Pronunciation Key ing, but of little importance, while others were pleased to know that someone cared about rectify- a as in apt, sap ing this common problem. And then there were ah as in calm, father those who said that there were no accepted rules for ahr as in ark, dark, harm pronouncing Latin- and Greek-based taxonomic air as in care, pair names, and that everyone was free to pronounce aw as in all, saw them any way they liked. Of course this statement is ay as in ail, say, tame not acceptable among certain scholars; still, we b as in bob, box, nab suspect few biologists today have the chance to seek ch as in chest, church, preach guidance on pronunciation. But that is precisely d as in dud, dug, sad how this guide came into being. Only one of the e as in bet, egg authors (R. Davis) is a biologist who never studied ee as in easy, me Latin in school. However, he met his daughter’s eer as in beer, ear, tier Latin instructor (D. Ranneft) during a parent– f as in far, fluff, thief teacher meeting at her high school. This chance g as in gave, grog, hag meeting led to a conversation about the recognized h as in half, he pronunciation of Latin, and in particular taxo- i as in is, quick nomic names. D. Ranneft, who had taught ‘Classi- i as in my, tie cal Elements in the English Language’ at The j as in jump, judge, magic University of Richmond, appreciated the difficulties k as in cuff, kluck associated with Latin- and Greek-based taxonomic l as in left, lull names. Over time, and with the later inclusion of H. m as in come, merry, mom Eaker, a former member of the Classics Depart- n as in now, nun, span ment at Rice University and specialist in Late French final n as in garcon, vin Latin, this small guide was born. It was initially ng as in hang, sing, singer designed for students studying marine mammalogy o as in hot, on, sock at Texas A&M University. However, we believe oh as in clone, coat, oat that interest in this topic is more widespread be- oi as in boy, toil cause of the current increased interest in marine oo as in soon, too mammals among students of all ages and the gen- oor as in cure, poor, tour eral public. Even more experienced biologists will or as in for, tore, warn find this guide useful. ow as in cow, ouch Currently, recognized species of whales and dol- p as in put, pop, wrap phins along with other taxonomic classifications r as in hear, rap, rare (e.g., superfamily, family, subfamily) came from s as in sap, spice, twice Marine Mammals of the World by Jefferson, sh as in hush, sheep, shush Leatherwood and Webster (Rome: F.A.O. of the t as in pat, tip, toot U.N. 1993), Marine Mammals and Noise by th as in bath, fourth, thin Richardson, Greene, Malme, and Thomson (San th as in bathe, father, this Diego: Academic Pr. 1992), and Marine Mammals u as in supper, up of the World by Rice (Lawrence: Allen Pr. 1998). ur as in first, her, spur The Pronunciation Key used in this guide was uu as in book, foot, full adapted from the NBC Handbook of Pronunciation ü as in grün (German) by Ehrlich and Hand (N.Y. Harper Row Publish- v as in live, valve, very ers, 1984). We omitted the unhelpful, indeterminate w as in quiet, west schwa and added for Greek and Latin pronuncia- y as in yard, you tion the ü. The anglicized pronunciation is based, z as in hazy, please, zip where possible, on what is found in Webster’s Third zh as in leisure, pleasure New International Dictionary (Springfield: Merriam Webster Inc., 1986). Other dictionaries consulted Abbreviations used in the Guide: included: A Latin Dictionary compiled by Lewis and Short (Oxford University Press, 1955); A Gr=Greek L=Latin Greek-English Lexicon compiled by Liddell and L.p.=Latin pronunciation Scott (Oxford University Press, 1978); Dictionary of Gr.p.=Greek pronunciation Pronunciation of cetacean names 185 A.p.=Anglicized pronunciation Eschricht was a Danish zoologist according to w=Pronunciation based on Webster’s Third Inter- Leatherwood and Reeves (1983). national Dictionary In cases where cetacean names are unaltered Latin words, the latinized pronunciation can be Species used, rather than the anglicized pronunciation. All syllabication follows Classical rules. A capitalized Right whale Balaena glacialis (Müller, 1776) syllable indicates an accent on the vowel or stress. Balaena (A.p.) ba/LEE/na balaena (L) whale An asterix * invites the reader to go to the Appen- (L.p.) bah/LI/na dix for an explanation of the Latin suffix and/or glacialis (A.p.) gla/si/AY/lis glacialis (L) icy (L.p.) inflected ending of a Latin declension used for a gla/ki/AH/lis particular level of taxonomic classification. Bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus (Linnaeus, 1758) Balaena (A.p.) ba/LEE/na w Order: Cetacea (Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises) balaena (L) whale (L.p.) bah/LI/na Cetacea (A.p.) see/TAY/shee/a w cetus or cetos mysticetus (A.p.) mis/ti/SEE/tus mysticetus (L) (L) whale (L.p.) KAY/tuus or KAY/tos from ketos from (Gr.) singular of mysticeti (See Suborder: (Gr) huge fish (Gr.p.) KAY/tos*.