Scientific Names of Greek Derivation

Abstract

LIKE Prof. Cole (NATURE, November 17, p. 724) I prefer to transliterate the Greek letters, especially the vowels and diphthongs, directly into English—to represent, for example, by ai instead of æ, and ei by ei instead of i. Perhaps the worst examples I know of the emasculation of Greek diphthongs are the old-established Miocene and Pliocene, which show not only a weakening of ei to i, but also a further degradation of to a simple e. I am afraid it is too late to restore these words; but I am sorry to say that there are those who, on the specious plea of consistency, wish to write Cenozoic for Kainozoic and to extend this system of transliteration indefinitely. What this means is illustrated by the fate of the two words καινόσ and κενόσ, both represented by “ceno-,” which in Cenozoic and Cenocrinus means “recent,” and in Cenoceras and Cenosphæra means “empty,” a most unnecessary and unreasonable confusion of distinct words.