spelling of Gang-gang clarification

["Philip Veerman" <>]

May I please point out that I sent my message privately to John and to the email for the GG (or is that G-g) newsletter only. I did not send it out to others. I request you to consider why I would do this, then I will explain .

 

I did not wish this to be hashed out again or to come back as a debate about something I might think or do. Thus I sent it just to those two addressees. Besides I wrote it should be Gang-gang Cockatoo (in full). I perceive that Gang-gang is an adjectival form of words to go with the noun of Cockatoo. Thus without the noun it doesn't really make sense in formal use (like "Red-rumped" doesn't make sense as describing an object but Red-rumped Parrot does.)

 

Frankly I don't care if people call it a bang bong or call a darter a swan. Words are just symbols. Provided we all understand what is being referred to. However such errors just create confusion. The difference between wrong and right spelling is just a quantitative, not a qualitative aspect of wrong. As for Margaret's comment about well known mammals, sadly the same protocols, so well established in birds are not generally used for other groups. Also the words she used are in a general sense, not as specific proper nouns for a species.

 

Now as to why I sent my message privately to John. It seems obvious to me that John is contemplating taking his survey further and likely publishing results somewhere. Thus, as is my habit, I was simply offering a correction and advice to assist him. This is certainly NOT for the benefit of his email message of this week, as that is an informal use and we all understand what he means and I don't care and it has already happened, so I hardly perceive any benefit to be gained there. I was clearly offering the correction so that when and if he does publish any results in the future, he knows when drafting such a note to use the proper name spelling and thus avoid the tedium or embarrassment of the editor needing to correct his draft.

 

All incredibly simple.

 

Philip Veerman

24 Castley Circuit

Kambah  ACT  2902

 

02 - 62314041

 

 

 On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 8:46 AM, John Leonard <> 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.