21 replies to this topic

[Daniel G]

So yeah, how do i pronounce Catesbeai? I just need clarification, so i don't sound like a prat every time i attempt to say it

[Alexis]

Cates - bee - eye

[Tricky Utrici]

Kates-bee-eye, same as above.

Don't worry about sounding like a prat, the person your speaking to probably thinks he's got it wrong.

[Darkrai283]

Yes, you didn't spell it right. Its Catesbaei.

[Daniel G]

Thanks guys!
I can try wipe the Pratty-ness from my memory Les :)

[Richard Bunn]

Is that Kates as in the female name (Kate's) or kay-tes or kay-tez.

Weird I was only thinking about this subject this morning.

[John Jearrard]

Named after Mark Catesby, an English naturalist who visited Virginia 1712-1719, and Carolina 1722-1726 and went on to publish several illustrated volumes about his trips, naming a few Sarracenia in the process.
Pronunciation is always a dodgy subject. One convention suggests that with names that commemorate a person, you pronounce it as you would the persons name (good luck with Russian, Chinese and Japanese botanists names).
Another convention suggests pronouncing names as though they were latin words (insofar as that is possible) in which case each vowel has to be pronounced seperately (except for ae which is approximately i).
There is nothing you can do that is actually wrong, but it probably helps understanding if you 'follow the herd', which in this case would be Catesby-i (hard C).
Kat-es-bi-i could also be defended.

[Daniel G]

Thanks John!
That was a very good explanation!

[Tricky Utrici]

As usual I was thinking of women at the time, Kate as in "kiss me Kate" but more than one Kate = Kates.

Now I'm being a prat!

[bearphant]

John Jearrard, on 28 June 2012 - 21:46 PM, said:

Another convention suggests pronouncing names as though they were latin words (insofar as that is possible) in which case each vowel has to be pronounced seperately (except for ae which is approximately i).

Just one clarification: in latin "ae" is pronounced "ɛ" (like the "e" in "bed").
So, applying the "latin words theory", catesbaei should be pronounced kʌtesbɛi, and Sarracenia should be Sʌr'rʌtʃɛniʌ, i think (i'm using the International Phonetic Alphabet). Anyway both Sarracenia and catesbaei are named after english botanists, so... it's still a matter of debate.
Personally, as Italian, i'm confident on the fact that my pronounce of pure latin words, eg leucophylla or ornata, is quite right, but when there's a person's name within it's another story...

[Ian Salter]

Tricky Utrici, on 29 June 2012 - 18:11 PM, said:

As usual I was thinking of women at the time, Kate as in "kiss me Kate" but more than one Kate = Kates.

Now I'm being a prat!

You're not being a prat Les, just thinking too much about women.

[Daniel G]

I learn Spanish, with makes me feel as if i have a general idea of Latin pronunciation, still have no idea what most of the complicated letters are tho'  
Does that mean Catesbaei should be pronounced Kat-es-beh-eye

[Daniel G]

Ian Salter, on 30 June 2012 - 06:53 AM, said:

You're not being a prat Les, just thinking too much about women.

LOL!

[Alexis]

I've seen these pronunciations as well:

Sarracenia: sa-ra-sin-ee-a
Leucophylla: loo-kof-i-la

I think Americans lean towards these

[Daniel G]

I do Sa-ra-seh-nee-ah
Lee-oo-coh-fill-ah

[Richard Bunn]

So what about sarraceniaceae?

[Alexis]

sa-ra-seen-ia-see-a is what I'd say.

Or maybe sa-ra-seen-ia-say-a

[alexa]

On a practical level, it actually doesn’t matter how you pronounce it, it’s the spelling that’s important.  

Cheers
Alex.

[bearphant]

If you put the plant name in google translate, from "latin" to whatever, and then click the button "listen" on the text box, you would have an idea of how it should be pronounced...more or less :)

(it doesn't seem to work well with Sarraceniaceae though... :/ )

Edited by bearphant, 30 June 2012 - 19:21 PM.

[Flytyer]

bearphant, on 30 June 2012 - 19:13 PM, said:

If you put the plant name in google translate, from "latin" to whatever, and then click the button "listen" on the text box, you would have an idea of how it should be pronounced...more or less :)

(it doesn't seem to work well with Sarraceniaceae though... :/ )

Try it with Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch  

Yes, that is a place name in the UK  

Edited by Flytyer, 30 June 2012 - 21:47 PM.