Taxonomic etymology – in search of inspiration

We present a review of the etymology of zoological taxonomic names with emphasis on the most unusual examples. The names were divided into several categories, starting from the most common – given after morphological features – through inspiration from mythology, legends, and classic literature but...

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Main Authors: Piotr Jozwiak, Tomasz Rewicz, Krzysztof Pabis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pensoft Publishers 2015-07-01
Series:ZooKeys
Online Access:http://zookeys.pensoft.net/lib/ajax_srv/article_elements_srv.php?action=download_pdf&item_id=5695
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author Piotr Jozwiak
Tomasz Rewicz
Krzysztof Pabis
author_facet Piotr Jozwiak
Tomasz Rewicz
Krzysztof Pabis
author_sort Piotr Jozwiak
collection DOAJ
description We present a review of the etymology of zoological taxonomic names with emphasis on the most unusual examples. The names were divided into several categories, starting from the most common – given after morphological features – through inspiration from mythology, legends, and classic literature but also from fictional and nonfictional pop-culture characters (e.g., music, movies or cartoons), science, and politics. A separate category includes zoological names created using word-play and figures of speech such as tautonyms, acronyms, anagrams, and palindromes. Our intention was to give an overview of possibilities of how and where taxonomists can find the inspirations that will be consistent with the ICZN rules and generate more detail afterthought about the naming process itself, the meaningful character of naming, as well as the recognition and understanding of names.
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spelling doaj.art-157c879a64504166b5e78af0f3bae0ed2022-12-21T21:18:55ZengPensoft PublishersZooKeys1313-29891313-29702015-07-0151314316010.3897/zookeys.513.98735695Taxonomic etymology – in search of inspirationPiotr JozwiakTomasz RewiczKrzysztof PabisWe present a review of the etymology of zoological taxonomic names with emphasis on the most unusual examples. The names were divided into several categories, starting from the most common – given after morphological features – through inspiration from mythology, legends, and classic literature but also from fictional and nonfictional pop-culture characters (e.g., music, movies or cartoons), science, and politics. A separate category includes zoological names created using word-play and figures of speech such as tautonyms, acronyms, anagrams, and palindromes. Our intention was to give an overview of possibilities of how and where taxonomists can find the inspirations that will be consistent with the ICZN rules and generate more detail afterthought about the naming process itself, the meaningful character of naming, as well as the recognition and understanding of names.http://zookeys.pensoft.net/lib/ajax_srv/article_elements_srv.php?action=download_pdf&item_id=5695
spellingShingle Piotr Jozwiak
Tomasz Rewicz
Krzysztof Pabis
Taxonomic etymology – in search of inspiration
ZooKeys
title Taxonomic etymology – in search of inspiration
title_full Taxonomic etymology – in search of inspiration
title_fullStr Taxonomic etymology – in search of inspiration
title_full_unstemmed Taxonomic etymology – in search of inspiration
title_short Taxonomic etymology – in search of inspiration
title_sort taxonomic etymology in search of inspiration
url http://zookeys.pensoft.net/lib/ajax_srv/article_elements_srv.php?action=download_pdf&item_id=5695
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AT krzysztofpabis taxonomicetymologyinsearchofinspiration