hahaha ,, kinda like "you say paatatoe ,,, I say pataatoe ..... " it is a tricky one ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Powell" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 11:51 AM Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] rainy day pronunciation questions > This thread rises like Dracula about once a year. The usual division of > the > house is approximately the following: > > > One half goes for "SAY-BINE" like the unfortunate women in Roman legend > > One half goes for "sa-BEAN" like the river separating Louisiana and Texas > > A few pedants insist on "sabin," rhymes with "cabin" > > > The pedants are correct, as usual. This bird was named after the Irish > scientist Sir Edward Sabine by his brother Joseph Sabine. And that's the > way they pronounced their name. > > The upside is that no matter how you pronounce it, most birders will know > what you mean. > > Regarding the Pyrrhuloxia, I have lived in West Texas, New Mexico, and > Arizona, and everyone I met there pronounced it "peer-roo-LOX-ia." I have > run into some easterners who say "pye-roo-LOX-ia," and that may even be > technically correct. We need to find a pedant to settle it. > > Texans should not be regarded as having any special expertise in > pronouncing > Spanish, but even south of the border, one almost exclusively hears > "pah-RAH-kay" for Pauraque. Some folks of the French persuasion say > "pah-ROCK," but folks of the French persuasion have a lot of funny ideas. > > We haven't even gotten onto "Jacana" yet? There are at least three > different pronunciation of that name. The name comes from > the Portuguese and my Brazilian colleagues pronounce it "zhah-sah-nah," > but > almost nobody else does. > > Cheers, > > Bob > > -- > Robert D Powell > Wilmington, OH, USA > [log in to unmask] > http://rdp1710.wordpress.com > > Nulla dies sine linea > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at > www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]