| @davidr: Based on the alkenes, I'm guessing that ennene would have been too annoying to say, so they switched to Latin, at least for nonane. I'm guessing it was a similar rationale for eleven, though "hendecane/hendecene" would not have been as obnoxious to say.
But, scientists go back and forth and mix Latin and Greek together all the time. Prime example is octopus. |
