The Naming of the Shrew

A Curious History of Latin Names

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Foreign Languages, Latin, Language Arts, Linguistics, Science & Nature, Science, Biological Sciences
Cover of the book The Naming of the Shrew by John Wright, Bloomsbury Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John Wright ISBN: 9781408820353
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Publication: November 6, 2014
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing Language: English
Author: John Wright
ISBN: 9781408820353
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication: November 6, 2014
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing
Language: English

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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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.

More books from Bloomsbury Publishing

Cover of the book Railway Posters by John Wright
Cover of the book The New Orientalists by John Wright
Cover of the book The Unexpected Story of Nathaniel Rothschild by John Wright
Cover of the book Fully Connected by John Wright
Cover of the book In the Studio with Joyce Piven by John Wright
Cover of the book Narratives of Nothing in 20th-Century Literature by John Wright
Cover of the book John Holt by John Wright
Cover of the book Hamlet: Arden Performance Editions by John Wright
Cover of the book US Marine Corps Pacific Theater of Operations 1943–44 by John Wright
Cover of the book The Wonderful World of Dissocia by John Wright
Cover of the book Turner and the Whale by John Wright
Cover of the book Uncharted Seas by John Wright
Cover of the book Educational Transitions in Post-Revolutionary Spaces by John Wright
Cover of the book U-Turn by John Wright
Cover of the book Dead Funny by John Wright
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy