basonym

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

basonym – an obsolete name for a biological species or genus which has been replaced by a new name

July 19, 2008

mollusque commented on the word basonym

No, Wiktionary's definition is incorrect. A basonym is the original name given to a nominal species. The name might still be in use, or the species might have been moved to another genus. The term is not obsolete, but is used mostly in botany and bacteriology, seldom in zoology.

July 19, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

How come you are so knowledgeable in this? :) I'm not arguing; today is the first time I've ever clapped my eyes on this word, and I just copied down the definition, so you may be right.

July 19, 2008

mollusque commented on the word basonym

Because I'm a taxonomist. A large part of my professional work is to determine the correct names for species and the identifications of specimens.

July 19, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

Then I bow before your expertise! It probably is a matter of professional pride for you to correct any blunders or inaccuracies you come across regarding the subject you're so well acquainted with.

July 19, 2008

mollusque commented on the word basonym

And plain old pedantry. Also, I've been caught out often enough relying on single sources. That's why I'd rather Wordies write their own definitions (as noted under rhyparographer) than copy them.

July 19, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

That's why I'd rather Wordies write their own definitions – but what if the Wordie in question doesn't know the definition, but is trying to hunt it down, as I do? :) I try not to write definitions to words which already have one right next to them (in grey letters), but I find that words can be memorized better if some effort have been put into researching them. For me, Wordie is a kind of learning tool, instead of a social networking site.

July 19, 2008

yarb commented on the word basonym

The trouble with definitions from Wikipedia, Wiktionary etc is that they're often to some extent wrong, and when they get corrected in the wiki, the old faulty copy will stay uncorrected here.

I don't mind copied definitions from professional dictionaries so much, but I still think they're basically redundant, and a citation is much more useful and interesting to me.

July 19, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

Well, I've been trying not to quote anything from Wikipedia and Wiktionary, at least.

July 19, 2008

mollusque commented on the word basonym

But what if the Wordie in question doesn't know the definition? Read several definitions, see if they agree, look for citations in Google Books, then come up with a definition that encompasses what you've learned. That's what lexicographers do. They define words they haven't previously seen, based on the available evidence. It doesn't mean that your definition will be complete or entirely correct, but it will be a good starting point for the next person who wonders about the word. And since Wordie ranks high in websearches for many unusual words, your definition is likely to be encountered.

July 19, 2008

Prolagus commented on the word basonym

Wordie is currently the second page result for basonym. :-)

July 20, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

It looks like we've become a right authoritative source of information. A real fountain of effervescent collective wisdom, graciously sharing from our inexhaustible spring of profound knowledge.

I'm aiming for the first place! :)

July 20, 2008

Prolagus commented on the word basonym

If we just go on commenting, we will easily be. As far as I know, the reason why we are often on top is the number of links that every page generates (i.e. there's a link to the basonym page on all "recent activity" pages of people who commented here, on the lists that have it, on the "past comments" pages, on every other page where the word is in brackets...)

July 20, 2008

bilby commented on the word basonym

Do you think people like me would leave a comment here just for the sake of doing so?

July 21, 2008

yarb commented on the word basonym

Count me in.

July 21, 2008

yarb commented on the word basonym

Wait - I already commented here.

July 21, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

Our googlipresence has dropped considerably. We're back on the tenth page, folks. Oh, how will I live? Why Google has to torment me so? :/

Edited!!

July 21, 2008

shevek commented on the word basonym

*comment*

July 21, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

What the...? You did it, Shevek! And you made me think it was my fault. Aren't you naughty? Where's my spanking paddle?

July 21, 2008

shevek commented on the word basonym

Yes indeed, I'm quite the naughty one ;-P. Perhaps the paddle is over by your categorization pants? (I hope I didn't shrink the paddle too...)

July 21, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

Don't you go around poking fun at my brand spanking new pair of pants! My categorization might be sucky, but I'm quite proud of my pantaloons. I need them for when I'm pants at something.

And, as you can see, you didn't shrink my paddle.

July 21, 2008

shevek commented on the word basonym

*cowers*

*sneaks*

*pantses Mia!*

July 21, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

*is currently in a flagillitious mood*

July 21, 2008

shevek commented on the word basonym

*ducks paddle swipe*

You really ought to add that word. I can't find it or any spelling variants on Google, or in my paper dictionary. Nice one.

July 21, 2008

sionnach commented on the word basonym

Despite the extensive commentary, I'm still a bit unclear on what this word means. An example, or a usage example, would be helpful.

signed

slo in San Francisco

July 21, 2008

john commented on the word basonym

love the minifying htmlotage.

July 21, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

It works wonderfully, John. If I want to, say, make others feel small and *insignificant*, then it's the right step in that direction. It's funny, though :)

ETA – basonym!

July 21, 2008

plethora commented on the word basonym

I think the reason our googlipresence has dropped is that we don't have the actual word basonym mentioned enough per comment to make up for all the other stuff. So everyone just needs to add basonym into their comments.

Shevek! Teach me your html tricks! Please? *puppy dog eyes*

And, sionnach, I'm not sure I get the meaning, either.

July 21, 2008

bilby commented on the word basonym

Did somebody say basonym?

July 21, 2008

pterodactyl commented on the word basonym

I, too, would like to learn the HTML resizing trick, and I, too, will give Shevek puppy dog eyes until he/she gives in and teaches it to us.

Please?

*earnest, pleading stare*

July 21, 2008

vanishedone commented on the word basonym

Just look at the page source.

Wordie doesn't automatically add closing tags.

Edit: hmm, it seems I can't turn the entire page red though.

Edit2: I've removed the <small> tags from my own comment because they were reducing the lowest comments to 4x smallness, and squinting isn't nice.

July 21, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

It's not some arcane, closely guarded knowledge, Pterodactyl :) It's easy, like this: (i)yourtexthere(/i) for italic, (b)yourtexthere(/b) for bold, and (small)yourtexthere(/small) for small (you can also substitute 'small' with 'big'). Only, you should replace ( and ) with < and > signs, respectively.

Edited: You, VanishedOne, almost gave me a heart attack. I thought that I did this! You so did turn everything red. Close the tag, pretty please?

July 21, 2008

dontcry commented on the word basonym

basonym

July 21, 2008

vanishedone commented on the word basonym

I only managed to view the rest of my own comment as red, so if you saw everything red it may be down to different browsers' handling unclosed tags differently.

July 21, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

Then you've fixed my browser, because now everything's back to rights! :)

ETA – I suggest putting it in square brackets, Bilby.

And it's not ridiculous, Sionnach! Yet.

July 21, 2008

bilby commented on the word basonym

basonym

July 21, 2008

bilby commented on the word basonym

Ok, I get that. But Mia, those instructions related to how we format our own comments. What Shevek did was to influence how other people's comments are displayed for everybody.

July 21, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

He didn't do anything extraordinary, he just didn't close the tag behind himself.

July 21, 2008

bilby commented on the word basonym

Ah. I might be clued in now. I think.

July 21, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

OK, can we fix everything now? Because we are slowly creeping towards ridiculous. Someone had better start posting some proper usages of basonym, fast.

July 21, 2008

dontcry commented on the word basonym

Basonym: usage; "Hey, close that tag behind yourself, were you born in a basonym?!"

July 21, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

Hey, we're looking at you, Shevek and Bilby! Srsly.

July 21, 2008

bilby commented on the word basonym

I hear Mia, and I obey.

July 21, 2008

bilby commented on the word basonym

Hasten Jasonym

Bring the basonym!

July 21, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

For those who don't want to scroll down (and down, and down...), a basonym is "the original, validly published name of a taxon" (says Answers.com). While a taxon is "a taxonomic category or group, such as a phylum, order, family, genus, or species" (again, Answers.com).

But you should really go pester Mollusque, our resident expert on this subject.

July 21, 2008

dontcry commented on the word basonym

Yes, scrolling down and down and down can be irritating! ;-)

July 22, 2008

plethora commented on the word basonym

Ok, we're still not on the first Google page, but basonym minifying htmlotage is third.

July 22, 2008

sionnach commented on the word basonym

Couldn't basonym also mean "name given to a basilisk", or are all basilisks called Basil?

See, for example, the award-winning* children's book "Basil the basilisk grows an herb-garden", brought to you by the publishers of "Ethel the aardvark goes quantity surveying", and "Terry the termite eats crumpets with marmite".

* unlike its less successful sibling "Basil the basilisk loves casu marzu and ludefisk".

July 22, 2008

shevek commented on the word basonym

Hahaha plethora, digital sorcery prevails! I'm also flattered to be the inspiration for a Sailor Moon attack, though I'm trying to figure out where anime panty shots fit in with html and basonyms (see, I used it!).

Mia, would you like to buy a vowel?

July 22, 2008

shevek commented on the word basonym

Experimenting with other tags on a more out of the way page I tried to get < code > or < pre > to turn the page into unformatted html, but alas, in vain.

So none of you try that, ya hear?

!!!

PS - Sionnach, what about bslsk05?

July 22, 2008

mollusque commented on the word basonym

Hi folks, I'm in the Philippines (the hotbed of mollusk diversity!) for a conference, and have finally had time to check in on Wordie. Here's an example for basonym.

The basonym of Homo erectus is Pithecanthropus erectus; it is the name originally given to the species. Pithecanthropus was synonymized with Homo, so the name of the species changed.

July 23, 2008

bilby commented on the word basonym

Ooh! Bring me words from the Philippines, moll!

July 23, 2008

chained_bear commented on the word basonym

Cool, mollusque!!

Uhh... could you close your tag when you have a chance? Your italics are showing. ;)

July 23, 2008

mialuthien commented on the word basonym

Thanks, Mollusque! The term "basonym" has now officially become a little less vague – for me, at least! Have you found any more examples?

(Wow, Philippines... *is envious*)

July 23, 2008

chained_bear commented on the word basonym

*wishes mollusque would have added hotbed of mollusk diversity to Wordie, or at least added it as a definition to the Philippines page*

July 24, 2008

mollusque commented on the word basonym

C_B, done and done. Bilby, how about merienda?

Mia, there are millions of examples, since all species names have basonyms. Homo sapiens is its own basonym, since the name of the species hasn't changed. But I've found it hard to come up with examples where people would be familiar with both the basonym and the current name when the classification has changed. I'll let you know if I think of others.

July 25, 2008