In message , Des
Higgins writes


absolutely (we just copy pronunciations from each other).
I have noticed that some pronunciations are more manly and striking and
others are more wishy washy.
I have always thought liken rather than litchen for lichen to be more
assertive but then I prefer CLEMatis to cleMAYtis as teh latter sounds
american. I remember trying to pronounce urtica dioica when I was a kid as
ooortika dye-osha which sounded weird until I heard someone say dye-oyka
which sounded so much more knowledgeable and I have never looked back ever
since. Senecio as senekio I cannot get used to though so I say seneesio
which I am sure is wrong.

Spanish, portuguese, english and I think italian all pronounce c as 'k'
when it is before a,o or u and as a softer sound 's', 'th' or 'ch'
before e or i. (English is confused by all the words we have derived
form non-S. european origins). So that would suggest you're right with
your pronounciation, though it sounds completely wrong to my ear! But
then, I learnt from my mother to say 'sissy rinch ium' ;-)
--
Kay Easton