[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index][Subject Index][Author Index]

Re: Details on Protopteryx


Stephen,
I'm afraid I'm not a linguist, so I don't know if there are any hard and fast rules for us to follow. But I can offer some analogies, and I would compare "proto-" words with "photo-" words and "geo-" words:
In most words which begin with geo-, those two syllables are pronounced separately from the rest of the word: geo-physics, geo-physical, geo-graphic, geo-political, geo-metric, geo-logical, geo-detic, geo-centric. But there are exceptions: ge-OG-raphy (even though the adjective is geo-graphic) and ge-OL-ogy (even though the adjective is geo-logic) and ge-OM-etry (even though the adjective is geo-metric).
Your example of proto- seems to have a few exceptions: Pro-toc-tist, Pro-tog-en-es, and I assume pro-to-gy-ny (I think that is correct). Likewise we say pho-TOG-raphy, although the adjective is photo-graphic. Pho-TOM-etry, as opposed to photo-metric.
I don't know if there are any rules in there (with discernible exceptions that have any pattern at all). It's a big linguistic mess as far as I can see. Formation of words and their pronunciation don't seem to always go hand in hand.
*HOWEVER*, when it comes to the "opt" combination, the "t" pretty much always goes with the following syllable (at least I can't think of any exceptions): op-tion, op-ti-cal, op-ti-mis-tic. op-tom-et-ry, op-ti-mal, col-e-op-tera, le-pi-dop-te-ra, archae-op-te-ryx------thus pro-top-te-ryx. You can even stick a couple of "h"s in there and the "p" is still pronounced with the the "o", as in oph-thal-mol-o-gist.
And if that isn't convincing enough, I think the same is true of "apt", "ept", "ipt", and "upt": ap-ti-tude, Ap-te-ryg-i-formes, Ap-tian, Ap-tan-dra-ceae, cap-tion, Ep-tes-icus, Ep-ta-tret-idae, in-ep-ti-tude, sub-scrip-tion, up-ton. A few one-syllable exceptions like apt, opt, script (although you could argue whether the "t" is really pronounced somewhat separately or not).
No matter where you place the emphasis, the syllablification (is that a word?) almost has to be: pro-top-te-ryx. And the Latin emphasis would be on the "TOP" syllable.
I always hated English class, so why do I care about this? I haven't a clue.
----------Ken
********************************************************* 
From: Stephen <stephenbowden@home.com>
To: kinman@hotmail.com
CC: dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: Re: Details on Protopteryx
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 19:35:15 -0500

Ken Kinman wrote:
>
> I agree completely. The second "p" is not only to be pronounced, but
> is the syllable that is emphasized: pro-TOP-ter-yx. Names like Lepidoptera
> and Coleoptera would sound very peculiar if this "p" were silent.
> The only silent "p" words I can think of are those which begin with
> "p", like pterosaur, pneumonia, psychologist, etc.
> ------Ken

I have heard enough to convince me on the non-silent "p", but I am still
not sure about the stress.  Your argument emphasises a syllable that is
made up of the linking part of the first half of the name, plus part of
the initial consonant of the second.  For your insects the distinction
_ought_ to be between the Sheath-wings = COLeo-ptera and the Scale-wings
= LEPido-ptera.  I know that it is to late to change the common
pronunciation of these two, but given that pretty much every other word
staring with "proto-" is pronounced "PROto-" (eg protoplasm, which is
not pro-TOP-lasm) shouldn't we encourage the same for new dinosaurs?  As
I said before, if we are concerned to get the formation right, should we
not make a little bit of an effort on the pronunciation - or is
nomenclature just too eclectic for that?

cheers
Stephen

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com