Weigela. How do you say it?

Weigela.
According to the plantfiles, it's pronounced (why-GAY-luh). But the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary "audio" says it as (Why-GEE-Luh) Which is correct?
Alice

Fine Gardening magazine agrees with Merriam-Webster.

This message was edited Mar 6, 2005 8:11 PM

TomAtoe.....tomAHtoe.....I think it usually depends where (and from whom) you learn your horticultural Latin. I say "LYRE-ee-ope" and one of my landscapers says "Lyre-ee-O-PEE" (for Liriope, obviously). As long as we spell it right we're ok methinks!
K :~D

is it why jee la or why gee la?

I pronounce it why-jee-la....right or wrong...that's how it comes out of my mouth! Sunset Magazine has a great CD with botanical plants and info including pronounciations. I wonder if the Library has it?

Weigela was named after a German botanist, so it should be pronounced VIE-GEE-LA

Ah ha! No wonder I could never make sense of the "Latin." It's German! (I just call mine Judy (is that joo-dee or yoo-dee?)

That's very funny....kinda like when I took French in High School.....fresh from Son's of Norway summer Norwegian Language Camp.....I pronounced all the French words with a Norwegian accent. Drove my French teacher batty....but of course that was half the fun!

i always said wiggleeaa

Works for me NMartha!

I called it "that bush with the weird name that I can't say" for years. LOL I just heard Paul James say it again yesterday and he pronounced it "wy-gee-luh"

Kachinagirl, that's funny about the two pronunciations for liriope. I pronounce it a third way - li-ree-ope, with the emphasis on the li (short i sound). lol

Hey Pins! I wonder how many other pronunciations there are for that plant...and seriously, that's a pretty simple Latin name! There are much, much more difficult ones! Basically, I do the same with Latin as what my Pastor says to do when you come across a difficult-to-pronounce word in the Bible.....say it with authority and everyone will think you know what you're doing! LOL

Love it!

Glad I'm not the only one who's pondered that question. I've recently changed to wy-jella but forget why. I think just knowing the name is more important than pronunciation / enunciation. Seems like most of the local visitor's eye's start going counter-clockwise when I use (or try to use) the latin names.


Alexander "Lysmachia": I like this variegated plant but argued with myself over pronunciation. Budweiser settled the argument one fine afternoon and I lovingly refer to it as 'Lick my smack'.

It's Why- GEE-luh to me

It's Why- GEE-luh to me too me too

Maybe this shold be one of those daily DG vote items; which will then set the standard for the world of plant latin lovers!

Uhhhh...however it's correctly pronounced, I wish mine would start budding out or something. I planted it in the fall and it looks deader'n a doornail...or should I say 'deader than a doornail'....???

Just what is a doornail, anyway? I can't find a one in mine. lol

Mine hasn't leafed either. Can't recall for sure, but I think they are late to bud out.

Whew, what a relief! Thanks for the reassurance. Well pins, I'm not exactly sure what it is, but thank goodness it's dead, right? Hehehe.

I knnow the "Code of Zoological Nomenclature " has a pronounciation guide and I believe the "Botanical Code" has one too - not sure, been years since I refered to the literature. These days I just "wing it"

Wye-geel-ya and Li RYE opee