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Article ID: CBB001022706

Linnaeus and Chinese Plants: A Test of the Linguistic Imperialism Thesis (2010)

Cook, Alexandra (Author)

Notes and Records: The Royal Society Journal of the History of Science
Volume: 64
Pages: 121--138

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Linguistics; philology Classification in biology Terminology and nomenclature Botany Cross-cultural interaction; cultural influence 18th century China Needham, Joseph Linnaeus, Carolus

It has been alleged that Carolus Linnaeus practised Eurocentrism, sexism and racism in naming plant genera after famous botanists, and excluding `barbarous names'. He has therefore been said to practise `linguistic imperialism'. This paper examines whether Linnaeus applied `linguistic imperialism' to the naming of Chinese plants. On the basis of examples such as Thea (=Camellia), Urena, Basella, Annona, Sapindus (=Koelreuteria), and Panax, I conclude that Linnaeus used generic names of diverse origins. However, he misidentified Chinese plants' habitats, and acted on these misapprehensions.

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