Interpreting a tricky Latin name
The scientific name of (Ruddy) Turnstone is Arenaria interpres. Arenaria means "of the sand" (an arena was originally sand) which is the first mistake as Turnstones typically inhabit rocky coasts like this one, where they turn over stones and seaweed in search of food. Now for the tricky part; interpres means interpreter or translator (hence my title). When Linnaeus visited Gotland (Sweden) in 1741 he mistakenly understood that the locals called this species "Tolk", and in standard Swedish tolk means interpreter, so he gave this bird a Latin name for interpreter. But in Gotland dialect the word tolk meant stalk (or legs) and that was the name they used for Redshank, which also has bright orange legs and which may have led to Linnaeus's confusion (Here's a Redshank): www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/52575281493/in/photolist Linnaeus formally described Turnstone in 1758 in his Systema Naturae. Once a valid scientific name has been given it remains even if it is nonsensical and based on errors. So Turnstone is still named interpres. But the generic (family) name can change, as we learn more about which birds are related or not, latterly through DNA studies. And the vernacular names can change too, but the public sometimes do not embrace such changes. I don't hear many people refer to Pied Avocets or Eurasian Magpies. Although Ruddy Turnstone is used a bit more to differentiate it from the American Black Turnstone, especially as both species occur in America.
One final thing, for brevity I used the term Latin name in the title, but I should have used scientific name, because such names can be from Greek or Latin.
Interpreting a tricky Latin name
The scientific name of (Ruddy) Turnstone is Arenaria interpres. Arenaria means "of the sand" (an arena was originally sand) which is the first mistake as Turnstones typically inhabit rocky coasts like this one, where they turn over stones and seaweed in search of food. Now for the tricky part; interpres means interpreter or translator (hence my title). When Linnaeus visited Gotland (Sweden) in 1741 he mistakenly understood that the locals called this species "Tolk", and in standard Swedish tolk means interpreter, so he gave this bird a Latin name for interpreter. But in Gotland dialect the word tolk meant stalk (or legs) and that was the name they used for Redshank, which also has bright orange legs and which may have led to Linnaeus's confusion (Here's a Redshank): www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/52575281493/in/photolist Linnaeus formally described Turnstone in 1758 in his Systema Naturae. Once a valid scientific name has been given it remains even if it is nonsensical and based on errors. So Turnstone is still named interpres. But the generic (family) name can change, as we learn more about which birds are related or not, latterly through DNA studies. And the vernacular names can change too, but the public sometimes do not embrace such changes. I don't hear many people refer to Pied Avocets or Eurasian Magpies. Although Ruddy Turnstone is used a bit more to differentiate it from the American Black Turnstone, especially as both species occur in America.
One final thing, for brevity I used the term Latin name in the title, but I should have used scientific name, because such names can be from Greek or Latin.