Problems of Ukrainian dendrological and gardening phytonymy

Abstract

Aims. To analyze in the historical aspect the formation of Ukrainian names of tree and garden plants, to highlight problematic issues of Ukrainian plant nomenclature and to propose ways of consensual arrangement of the system of phytonyms of natural and cultural flora of Ukraine. Results. The International Code of Nomenclature of algae, fungi, and plants and the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, which regulate the names of taxa and cultons, respectively, provide forestry and horticulture with clear systems of plant naming that can be applied internationally. Based on the international scientific nomenclature, the national botanical nomenclature was developed on the basis of borrowed plant names and Ukrainian folk phytonyms. The agrobiological nomenclature includes the names of agricultural crops. The parallel existence of these two terminological systems, where the agrobiological nomenclature remained uncodified for a long time and was under the pressure of the botanical system of names, led to a confusion of names with a violation of the scientific style of the Ukrainian literary language. The folk names of plants were formed on the Indo-European and Proto-Slavic basis with numerous borrowings from other languages. Recently, the flow of plant introductions has increased significantly, which has led to the replenishment of Ukrainian phytonyms by transliteration, loan translation and formation of new words. In the presence of several synonymous names, the problem of choosing a generic name arises. Ukrainian specific epithets must correspond to Latin ones. Since the Ukrainian terminology has been forcibly influenced by the Russian language, it needs to be cleansed of Muscovisms. There are also problems with the use of correct names in regulatory documents and scientific works. Conclusions. Ukrainian phytonymy consists of plant names formed on the basis of its own language and borrowed from other languages. The set of these names forms the Ukrainian botanical and agrobiological terminology system, complementing each other and satisfying the needs of scientific and economic activity. In order to eliminate confusion in the names of plants, which differ in word order, it is necessary to distinguish between these systems of terms. Official documents and scientific works must be based on modern plant taxonomy.