Author: Publisher:
ISBN: 0195093542
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 298
Book Description
A New Dictionary of Eponyms
Author: The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians
Author: Bo BeolensPublisher: Pelagic Publishing
ISBN: 1907807446
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
New species of animal and plant are being discovered all the time. When this happens, the new species has to be given a scientific, Latin name in addition to any common, vernacular name. In either case the species may be named after a person, often the discoverer but sometimes an individual they wished to honour or perhaps were staying with at the time the discovery was made. Species names related to a person are ‘eponyms’. Many scientific names are allusive, esoteric and even humorous, so an eponym dictionary is a valuable resource for anyone, amateur or professional, who wants to decipher the meaning and glimpse the history of a species name. Sometimes a name refers not to a person but to a fictional character or mythological figure. The Forest Stubfoot Toad Atelopus farci is named after the FARC, a Colombian guerrilla army who found refuge in the toad’s habitat and thereby, it is claimed, protected it. Hoipollo's Bubble-nest Frog Pseudophilautus hoipolloi was named after the Greek for ‘the many’, but someone assumed the reference was to a Dr Hoipollo. Meanwhile, the man who has everything will never refuse an eponym: Sting's Treefrog Dendropsophus stingi is named after the rock musician, in honour of his ‘commitment and efforts to save the rainforest’. Following the success of their Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles, the authors have joined forces to give amphibians a similar treatment. They have tracked down 1,609 honoured individuals and composed for each a brief, pithy biography. In some cases these are a reminder of the courage of scientists whose dedicated research in remote locations exposed them to disease and even violent death. The eponym ensures that their memory will survive, aided by reference works such as this highly readable dictionary. Altogether 2,668 amphibians are listed.
A New Dictionary of Eponyms
Author: Morton S. FreemanPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography
Languages : en
Pages : 284
Book Description
Written in an anecdotal style, 'A New Dictionary of Eponyms' explores the origins of those words that are derived from people's names.
An Eponymous Dictionary of Economics
Author: Julio SeguraPublisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 9781845423605
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 312
Book Description
"Julio Segura and Carlos Rodriguez Braun have assembled a unique Dictionary that will be an invaluable and much welcomed reference book for economic journalists, economists and economic scholars at all levels of academe, and in all areas of economics and its associated fields."--BOOK JACKET.
Sharks: An Eponym Dictionary
Author: Michael WatkinsPublisher: Pelagic Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 1784270377
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 230
Book Description
This fascinating reference book delves into the origins of the vernacular and scientific names of sharks, rays, skates and chimeras. Each entry offers a concise biography, revealing the hidden stories and facts behind each species’ name.
The Eponym Dictionary of Birds
Author: Bo BeolensPublisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472905741
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 512
Book Description
Birdwatchers often come across bird names that include a person's name, either in the vernacular (English) name or latinised in the scientific nomenclature. Such names are properly called eponyms, and few people will not have been curious as to who some of these people were (or are). Names such as Darwin, Wallace, Audubon, Gould and (Gilbert) White are well known to most people. Keener birders will have yearned to see Pallas's Warbler, Hume's Owl, Swainson's Thrush, Steller's Eider or Brünnich's Guillemot. But few people today will have even heard of Albertina's Myna, Barraband's Parrot, Guerin's Helmetcrest or Savigny's Eagle Owl. This extraordinary new work lists more than 4,000 eponymous names covering 10,000 genera, species and subspecies of birds. Every taxon with an eponymous vernacular or scientific name (whether in current usage or not) is listed, followed by a concise biography of the person concerned. These entries vary in length from a few lines to several paragraphs, depending on the availability of information or the importance of the individual's legacy. The text is punctuated with intriguing or little-known facts, unearthed in the course of the authors' extensive research. Ornithologists will find this an invaluable reference, especially to sort out birds named after people with identical surnames or in situations where only a person's forenames are used. But all birders will find much of interest in this fascinating dictionary, an ebook to dip into time and time again whenever their curiosity is aroused.
Dictionary of Historical Allusions and Eponyms
Author: Dorothy AuchterPublisher: ABC-CLIO
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 316
Book Description
Drawing from history, folklore, cultural traditions, and linguistics, this dictionary illuminates over 550 terms, such as scapegoat, John Hancock, peeping Tom, nepotism, and many others.
CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names
Author: Umberto QuattrocchiPublisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0849326788
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 647
Book Description
This volume provides the origins and meanings of the names of genera and species of extant vascular plants, with the genera arranged alphabetically from R to Z.
Webster's New World Dictionary of Eponyms
Author: Auriel DouglasPublisher: Macmillan General Reference
ISBN: 9780139499265
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 238
Book Description
The origins of 800 common words derived from the names of uncommon people. Each entry includes the eponym, a biographical sketch of the perrson from whom it was derived, and an account of its origin, as well as the definition and current usage.
The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles
Author: Bo BeolensPublisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421402270
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 313
Book Description
Who was Richard Kemp, after whom the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is named? Is Wake’s Gecko named after Berkeley’s Marvalee Wake? Or perhaps her husband, David? Why do so many snakes and lizards have Werner in their name? This reference book answers these and thousands of other questions about the origins of the vernacular and scientific names of reptiles across the globe. From Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti, the Florida cottonmouth subspecies named for Roger Conant, to Xantusia, the night lizard genera namesake of John Xantus, this dictionary covers everyone after whom an extant or recently extinct reptile has been named. The entries include a brief bio-sketch, a list of the reptiles that bear the individual’s name, the names of reptiles erroneously thought to be associated with the person, and a summary of major—and sometimes obscure or even incidental—contributions made by the person to herpetology and zoology. An introductory chapter explains how to use the book and describes the process of naming taxa. Easy to use and filled with addictive—and highly useful—information about the people whose names will be carried into the future on the backs of the world’s reptiles, The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles is a handy and fun book for professional and amateur herpetologists alike.
