A Mushroom Word Guide: Etymology, Pronunciation, and Meanings of over 1,500 Words

This is a book every English-speaking mushroom hunter should own. It also may be of interest to people interested in the traditional English pronunciation of Latin. ( Read Wikipedia’s “Traditional English pronunciation of Latin” if you want TMI on this subject.) But this isn’t a book about mushrooms, it’s a book about words for mushrooms.Dr. Hallock gives us the derivation and English pronunciation of over 1,500 words about mushrooms, mostly the Latin and Greek names of fungi, with some information about famous mycologists also.I found some pronunciations I disagree with, but none that would raise eyebrows in the most erudite mushroom circles. I’m an amateur ‘shroomer and amateur Latinist.Latin is pronounced differently in different settings. I have four different pronunciations. A Mushroom Word Guide gives us the traditional English pronunciation, used by English speakers for scientific, medical, and legal words. When I read a classical Latin text out loud, I use the classical (“Roman system”) pronunciation. When I sing in Latin, I use the “Church Latin” (Italianate) I learned in Catholic high school. And when I speak German, I use the traditional German pronunciation of Latin. If I spoke better French than I do, I’d have five pronunciations.I’m a great believer in helping people pronounce unfamiliar words. Some consider that viewpoint elitist, but very much the opposite: I don’t want you to make a fool of yourself the first time you use a word you just learned. In my long life I’ve done that entirely too many times myself!

When I first saw this i thought "do I really need another mushroom related book?" the answer if course is always yes, As I am a Foraging and Wild food guide, and can never resist a new foraging related book. Unlike several others which have just taken their place on my bookshelf collecting dust, Robs book has found its place onto my bedside table. I find myself dipping into it regularly, soaking up the interesting tidbits that this thin tome is full of. Many people struggle with Binomial Nomenclature, the main issue being most people never studied latin, and dont know the meaning of these latin names, so find it hard to remember. Robs book helps you decipher these and relate them directly to the mushrooms themselves. E.g. Craterellus Cornucopiodes (Volcano like, Horn Shaped plentiful) and things of that nature. Its far easier to become proficient in Binomial when you can equate the meaning to the morphology or habits of the fungi, many terms also have applications in botany and zoo-ology etc. Its a great resource for those taking their first step in the scary sounding world of mycology, and an invaluable resource for continued learning for those more experienced, especially those who are self taught who may have missed out on some of the more obscure terminology. A surprising gem.

The previous version of Dr. Hallock's book was fun, interesting, and a great resource, and his new version is even better!Mushroom names can be difficult to understand and remember, and A Mushroom Word Guide makes the process more fun, more engaging, and a lot easier.I bought Dr. Hallock's first version to help my study of mushrooms, but soon found that I kept it next to my bed, as it is is also perfect bedtime reading, as I can enjoy as many words as I want before falling to sleep. His new version with 1500 words has now taken over this key location, and I will be passing on the 500 word version to a friend.

Concise, interestingly written, and easy to navigate. What isn’t to like! The little nuggets of personality left here and there by the author truly make this a guide to not only be referenced, but to be savoured and enjoyed. The only negative is that there aren’t 5 more volumes! Fantastic job :)

I love that it is broken down into sections; basic Mycological Definitions, Mycologist, Chemical Test, Toxins,... a great learning tool. Only thing I can think of that might make it better is photo/illustration accompaniment 1500+ words, and left me wanting for more.

I had the first edition of this book and was stoked when I learned that a new edition was coming out! The information within this book opens all sorts of doors of insight into those seemingly foreign words we see in the names of the mushrooms we enjoy learning about. I have found that referring to it rounds out the experience of placing a name to a mushroom. I highly recommend!

I spent a lot of time searching the internet trying to decipher the latin names of mushrooms. If you have too, you know it can be incredibly frustrating. This book makes it simple to find the meaning and correct pronunciations. Mushroom etymology is now a joy rather than a burden. I couldn't be happier with the book.

But this book, and you too can find out. An absolutely indispensable resource for amateur mycologists to the expert 'shroomers.

This book is not only a fun read, but deeply rewarding. You not only learn the reasons behind the naming of fungi, but loads of interesting history and your vocabulary skills will burgeon. I had been following the author on Facebook for a long while before I got the book, and I wish I had done so sooner :) Pure word joy!

A brilliantly informative book, written in an engaging style with the odd touch of humour. For the English reader, it's not annoyingly American. Obviously written by someone with a lot of knowledge and passion for the subject. A very useful reference book, and knowing the meanings and background of Latin names helps you to remember them.

A Mushroom Word Guide is a very useful guide for anybody interested in the pronunciation and origin of mushroom names. Each entry provides a guide to the word’s origin (Latin, Greek, etc.) and a brief explanation of it base meaning. Although the book covers over 1,500 words, there are a number of species epithets that are not covered. However, the book is still a worthwhile purchase for any mycologist.

So far every time I have gone to use this book, I ended up not finding the word and needed to look at the glossary of other books to find it. Guess it needed more words.