From: martin butterfield [
Sent: Tuesday, 22 May 2012 10:37 AM
To: John Leonard
Cc: Canberra Birds
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] spelling of Gang-Gang
Surely the issue is simple.
- In formal settings (eg professional papers, formal data records) the standard name - which as I understand COG policy is the one used by Birdlife Australia - should be used.
- In informal contexts (eg emails) as long as the reader knows which species is being talked about it doesn't really matter about niceties such as hyphenation or capitalisation.
As a good example of informal use of variations in vernacular names, check the Birds in Backyards page about Gang-gang Cockatoo.
On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 8:46 AM, John Leonard <m("gmail.com","calyptorhynchus");" target="_blank">> wrote:
Philip Veerman has raised the issue of my spelling of Gang-Gang, saying it should be Gang-gang.
Obviously this isn't the same issue as Sea-Eagle, Shrike-Thrush &c
I can't think of any other reduplictive onomatopoeic bird-names that are spelled as two words with a hyphen. Where there are such names they are usually spelled as one word, for example the African birds Brubru and Boubou. Other two syllable onomatopoeic names are also spelled as one word, ie Cuckoo, Hoopoe, Towhee, Veery &c
I think it's just a matter of preference with a name that is sui generis. My defence would be that in the GG's call the two syllables (where two syllables are produced) are distinct and equally stressed. Plus I think that Gang-Gang looks better on the page.
:-)
--
John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net
I want to be with the 9,999 other things.
