this post was submitted on 17 May 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world 37 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

I've had to give these answers more than a few times:

I don't know it. It does not have one. The genus is the common name.

[–] Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca 19 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Then translate the latin name directly. Better to have Doria's Big Three Ball than whatever a Megatriorchis doriae is. Even better, don't name something Three Ball, it's clickbait.

[–] apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

No thank you, unless I'm instructing or teaching people what botanical terms mean.

[–] AffineConnection@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

3-ball is actually the mathematical term for a solid sphere.

[–] Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca 1 points 4 months ago

This is a good point. On the other hand, Three Testicaled Hawk would also be an "appropriate" translation, as it's named after a greco-roman myth where the pancreas is mistaken for a third testical. May as well call them bush hawks and really give future etymologists a headache.

[–] frightful_hobgoblin@lemmy.ml 32 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Common nmes are often vague, e.g. what species is 'wrack' or 'marigold'

[–] bingbong@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 4 months ago
[–] manuallybreathing@lemmy.ml 3 points 4 months ago

I'd'a called 'em chazwazzas

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 12 points 4 months ago

"What kind of bug is this?"

"The kind with 6 legs."

[–] danekrae@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

It IS boa constrictor, I swear!

[–] flora_explora@beehaw.org 3 points 4 months ago

This is especially true when you are talking with people in various languages and they all want you to know the common name of an organism.

More confusing is that I know some organisms only by their common name, some by both names and most only by scientific names.

iNaturalist gives always gives me the scientific names first but varies in common names between the different local variants. It is confusing if some are in English, others in German or Spanish etc.