Naming of the Shrew

Name: Naming of the Shrew
Brand: John Wright
SKU: 9781408865552
Price: 9.07 GBP
Availability: InStock

by John Wright

Title:

Naming of the Shrew

Author:

John Wright

Format:

Paperback

Number of pages:

320 pages, B&W

Publisher:

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

ISBN-13:

9781408865552

EAN:

9781408865552

Publication Date:

08/10/2015

Classifications:

Linguistics

Weight (g):

380

Dimensions (mm):

130 x 198 x 22

Publication Country:

United Kingdom

Language:

English

Condition:

New

Price:£9.07

4 copies in stock

Qty

Description

Latin names – frequently unpronounceable, all too often wrong and always a tiny puzzle to unravel – have been annoying the layman since they first became formalised as scientific terms in the eighteenth century. Why on earth has the entirely land-loving Eastern Mole been named Scalopus aquaticus, or the Oxford Ragwort been called Senecio squalidus – ‘dirty old man’? What were naturalists thinking when they called a beetle Agra katewinsletae, a genus of fish Batman, and a Trilobite Han solo? Why is zoology replete with names such as Chloris chloris chloris (the greenfinch), and Gorilla gorilla gorilla (a species of, well gorilla)?The Naming of the Shrew will unveil these mysteries, exploring the history, celebrating their poetic nature and revealing how naturalists sometimes get things so terribly wrong. With wonderfully witty style and captivating narrative, this book will make you see Latin names in a whole new light.