[Foundation-l] English language dominationism is striking again

[wiki-list at phizz.demon.co.uk]

dgerard at gmail.com wrote:
> On 22 June 2010 14:06,  <wiki-list at phizz.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> > There is a major problem with latin names in a number of taxa. It seems that if tehre are 5 consecutive wet days in Summer a couple of researchers put their heads together and concoct new names, move things about, split, or combine species.
> 
> 
> And the actual problem here is that "species" as biology now
> understands it is more than a little fluid, which is why researchers
> look forward to those five consecutive wet days in summer, to sort out
> the mess ... the problem you describe is how to make rigid
> descriptions of something at the fluid level.
> 
> 

Of course, but then some national organisations adopt the new classifications, and other do not, or are tardy in their adoption. Meanwhile someone is using an identification key or guidebook from say 1973, or knows the species from its previous latin name.

The common name in any language has more stability as far as the lay person is concerned. the lay person shouldn't have to first find the latin name of an organism when looking it up:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sp%C3%A9cial%3ARecherche&search=Phal%C3%A8ne+de+l%27ans%C3%A9rine