MEDICAL EPONYMS OF MYTHOLOGICAL ORIGIN
MEDICAL EPONYMS OF MYTHOLOGICAL ORIGIN
Author(s): Eugeniusz Józef KucharzSubject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Philology
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Warmińsko-Mazurskiego w Olsztynie
Keywords: medical terminology; eponyms; mythonyms
Summary/Abstract: Eponyms account for a significant part of medical terminology. Their number isestimated to be a few thousands. Almost all of them are anthroponyms and were coinedfrom names of authors describing a disease, symptom, sign, etc. A small portion of medicaleponyms are mythonyms, coined from names of mythological figures or creatures.Mythonyms are classified into anatomical, physiological, pathological, psychiatricand psychological groups. Two mythonyms describe the name of one medical specialty(hygiene and venereology). Mythonyms were coined from late Renaissance to the 19thcentury. Their relationship to a mythological figure is usually complex. Anatomicalmythonyms are referring shapes of mythological creatures. Other mythonyms referto stories or special features of mythological figures. The paper reviews more than30 mythonyms, and describes their medical meaning, mythological origin and possiblerelation between the mythological figure and eponym.
Journal: Acta Neophilologica
- Issue Year: 2/2017
- Issue No: XIX
- Page Range: 29-42
- Page Count: 14
- Language: English