A guide to the pronunciation of the scientific names for harmful algae

Abstract

A historical review of scientific nomenclature and of the pronunciation of classical languages suggests that there is no objectively correct way to enunciate the technical terms applied to harmful algae. Any guide to pronunciation is always relative to some group of speakers; scientific nomenclature is an artificial construct without a population of normative speakers, living or dead, to whom the bewildered enunciator can have reference. Thus a key to the pronunciation of the Latin and Greek scientific terms in all disciplines, and a fortiori to the pronunciation of those terms applied to harmful algae, must be based on rules of common sense, mutual forbearance, and general intelligibility. This article includes a guide to pronouncing the names of harmful algae based on these principles.