"sacha" wrote in message after another Bob:

I've always pronounced "Ceanothus" as "Key-An-Oh-Thus", with the
emphasis on the "An". Is this correct, or am I completely wrong (does
it have a soft C for example).

kee-a-no-thus (a hard c, it's Latin )


My neighbour pronounces "Cotoneaster" as "Cott-On-Ee-Aster" (Emphasis
on the "Ee") whereas I have always thought of it as if it were the two
words "Cotton-Easter" - is he right and me wrong again? :-)

ko-ton-ee-a-ster.

.. Take Kniphofia. We
pronounce it "Niphoffia" but friends of ours pronounce it "Nyefofia"

nee-fof-ee-a

- I say
CLEMatis and Ray says CleMAYtis -

klem-a-tis

we say Daylia, friends say Dalia

dah-lee-a

all from The Collingridge Dictionary of Plant Names written by Allen.J
..Coombes ex Head of Latin at Eton. He's sorted out many a dispute in our
household. :-)

He says in his introduction that it all depends on where the name came from,
i.e. if it's from a town, person etc then it's pronounced that way if it's
from the Latin then it should be pronounced the Latin way, i.e. all "C's"
are hard as in cat.

Now try... Coelogyne :-) (p.s. it's an Orchid family)


--
Regards
Bob

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