Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!mcsun!ukc!axion!news From: jhiggott@zaphod.axion.bt.co.uk (jeff higgott) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: English & Latin Bird Names Message-ID: <1990Jan16.101855.17491@axion.bt.co.uk> Date: 16 Jan 90 10:18:55 GMT References: Sender: news@axion.bt.co.uk Reply-To: jhiggott@zaphod.axion.bt.co.uk Organization: British Telecom Research Labs Lines: 21 From article , by misan@ra.abo.fi (Annika Forsten DC): > > I also think it would be a good idea to keep the same name in all languages, > I mean just a simple translation if it's possible. It's very confusing > when different species have the 'same' name in two languages, like > Rodspov (translates Red Godwit is Black-tailed Godwit) in Swedish, > Punakuiri (translates Red Godwit is Bar-tailed Godwit) in Finnish. It > is a stupid name in both languages, of course, as both Godwits are more > or less red. It starts to get silly when you compare the English and latin names of some of the Gulls _Larus_ eg: The Latin name of Mediterranean Gull is _L. melanocephalus_ which means "Black-headed Gull"; Black-headed Gull (which has a brown head!) has the Latin name _L. ridibundus_ which means "Laughing Gull"; Laughing Gull has the Latin name _L. atricilla_ which means "Black-tailed Gull" - and Black-tailed Gull is something else again! Jeff....