ABSTRACT
Following the Systema Naturae (1758) of Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) the recognition and naming of species and other taxa became and still remains the fundamental activity of systematists working in biology, medicine, palaeontology, and even in mineralogy. In The Meaning of Culture (1929) Welsh Philosopher John Cowper Powys highlights the strong emotional and intellectual reassurance provided by names given to physical and biological entities:
The philosophy and science of Linnaeus, particularly in his youth, was a curious blend of the rational and the irrational, drawing on traditional knowledge, folklore, and magic (Broberg, 2006; Reid, 2009). This reflected a culture, belief system and informal nomenclature widespread and deeply entrenched in Europe since at least the mediaeval period (Thomas, 1983). Named entities have always been the fundamental basis for Linnaean and other taxonomies, some numerical systems excepted. As Fortey (2008: 316) attests: “Every species on earth has its story to tell. But the first stage will always be the naming of names.”
