The names of treatment means in medical books of the doctor Antanas Vileišis Cover Image

Gydymo priemonių pavadinimai daktaro Antano Vileišio medicinos knygelėse
The names of treatment means in medical books of the doctor Antanas Vileišis

Author(s): Palmira Zemlevičiūtė
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Applied Linguistics, Lexis, Historical Linguistics, Descriptive linguistics, Baltic Languages, Health and medicine and law, Philology
Published by: Lietuvių Kalbos Institutas
Keywords: history of Lithuanian medical terminology; popular medical books; names of treatment means;

Summary/Abstract: This article analyses the names of treatment means (over 400) collected from sixteen books of popular medicine by doctor Antanas Vileišis (1856–1919) according to their meaning, expression and origin.In respect of meaning these names differ. Six notional groups were identified – names of medications for internal and external use, bandaging means and medical dressings, first aid means, disinfecting or anti-bacterial means, medical implements and manipulation treatment.In respect of expression the majority of names of treatment means are complex terms, mainly two-word terms (200), also there are quite few three-word terms (nearly 80). A variety of means of expression is characteristic to specific elements of those terms.In respect of origin Lithuanian words prevail, though there are quite a lot of words of foreign origin – international words and barbarisms. In some cases barbarisms were substituted with Lithuanian equivalents, though sometimes the author gives a barbarism next to Lithuanian word – presumably trying to adjust his language to the lexicon used by target readers. The abundance of borrowed words possibly has been influenced by the language, style and terminology of foreign authors, because most of doctor Vileišis books were translations of works of Russian, Polish or German authors or were prepared using such works.The names of treatment means have synonyms and variants. Most frequently two Lithuanian words or a Lithuanian word and non-Lithuanian word are used synonymously.Popular medical books by doctor Antanas Vileišis are the important source for the history of Lithuanian medical terminology.

  • Issue Year: 2005
  • Issue No: 12
  • Page Range: 67-80
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: Lithuanian