Specific and general acid catalysis What is the rationalization for calling reactions with rates independent of pH but dependent on the concentration of a particular acid catalyst under "general" acid catalysis, and pH dependent reactions under "specific" acid catalysis ? 

It would seem to me that the pH-independent reactions would be better considered to be under "specific" acid catalysis given as they are catalysed by a specific species.
I have wondered about this too. Although I could be wrong it is reasonable to assume (or at least handy to keep as a reminder) that the term "special" refers to the fact that compound is protonated in a very specific state, namely before the actual reaction occurs. General acid catalysis can happen both before the reaction or at any time during the reaction (i.e. in some transition state), whatever is likely in some range around the pH of the acid. Hence it is more general version of the special case mentioned above.