Pronouncing "felidae" and "carnivora"

These are two words which are often used when you're discussing cats. Some people aren't sure how to pronounce these word so I thought I would have a go myself. I made the video a long time ago. It was done very quickly as you can tell and spontaneously. The scientists like to use Latin in taxonomy i.e. the classification of the species. And they like to use Latin when sounding important! "Felidae" refers to the family of cats which are mammals in the taxonomic order called "carnivora". Taxonomy is still slightly unsettled. It has changed a lot because of DNA analysis of the species which is far more precise. Over 100 years ago the classification of the species was all done through observation and even the best scientists got mixed up sometimes. Because one species of cat can look different in different places the scientists thought they were looking at two different species. Some small wild cat species' coats look quite different depending on their location so they can be forgiven for getting mixed up. 

Felidae Pronunciation

I speak the words "felidae" and "carnivora" in this short video to show the pronunciation of these words. These are scientific words that are part of the subject of taxonomy. Taxonomy is concerned the classification of things including the scientific classification of the species of the world, both animal and plant. It is still a developing science as genetic profiling has refined the process of species classification. Early on, species were classified on appearance, anatomy, geographical range and behavior, things that could be seen with the naked eye. DNA testing digs deeper. In general, modern science (2011) has resulted in a reduction in the species and subspecies of wildcat.


Pronouncing "Felidae" and "Carnivora" from Michael Broad on Vimeo.