Language for taxonomic names

[John Cowan]

Doug Ewell scripsit:

> I agree with Peter Constable that this doesn't meet the requirements for 
> a true "language."  You can't express arbitrary content, or even 
> particularly diverse content, in this system.  It is usable for short 
> phrases within a limited scope.  At best, it's a profile of Latin.

That last, at least, it is not.  A system that includes genus names
Batman, Chinchilla, Drinker, Iron, Tuxedo, Hunkydora, Leprechaunus,
Gollum,  Nazgulia, Waddlia, Kaniwhaniwhanus, and Zyzzyzus, and species
names Gecko gekko, Heerz lukenatcha, Reissa roni, Dziwneono etcetera,
and Roberthoffstetteria nationalgeographica (no, not the longest) would
have left the Romans completely baffled.

Lots more at
http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html#Curious%20Scientific%20Names .

-- 
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