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Re: pronunciation of Camarasaurus



T. Michael Keesey writes:
>> Ye-es.  But it sure is useful if we all say it the same.  I remember
>> sitting listening to a talk by Andreas Christian at the SVPCA in
>> Leicester, wondering what this Oy-o-lophus thing was that he was
>> talking about ... then realising fifteen minutes into his talk that he
>> was saying _Euhelopus_.
> 
> In some ways that's probably closer to the "correct" Greek than the
> usual English "yoo HELL uh puss" (particularly in the first
> syllable).  (Or is that the usual English? Do some say "YOO huh LOPE
> us"?)

Sure.  I am not claiming my pronunciation is better than someone
else's.  I would just prefer us all to use the same pronunciation --
whatever that is.  Seems to me that this is something that the authors
of the names should get to choose, and that it's helpful to include it
in the paper that raises the name.

> That said, it would be nice to see, er, hear more consistency
> *within* languages. But how do you pick a standard?

You don't need a standard -- just consistency on each individual name.

 _/|_    ___________________________________________________________________
/o ) \/  Mike Taylor  <mike@miketaylor.org.uk>  http://www.miketaylor.org.uk
)_v__/\  "Don't Live with Broken Windows" -- Tip #4 in Hunt & Thomas's
         "The Pragmatic Programmer"