> They still demand that everyone understand Latin and use really ridiculous names for most species Well, the thing is you do need vaguely universal names for

> They still demand that everyone understand Latin and use really ridiculous names for most species Well, the thing is you do need vaguely universal names for species, and when taxonomy and phylogenetics really started Latin was the universal language used for science. Maybe if Linnaeus had been born a century later, species would have French names instead. But Latin is nice because it's not related to any single nation anymore. But having a single universal reference name for all species, even if some of them are not intrinsically meaningful (but many are, mind you), is far better than every language having its own name for different things and no universal way to mention anything. Just try to talk about penguins or moths to French-speaking people, or explain the difference between goëlands and mouettes to English-speaking people, and you will quickly see the limits of vernacular names.