The Latin language gained a prominent position in Europe with the rise of the Roman Empire, of which it was the official language. Even after the fall of Rome, it continued to enjoy great popularity among the more elevated populations of Europe and beyond. Thus, even the educated of the Middle Ages spoke and, more importantly, wrote in Latin, and so it was at the time of the founding of England in 927 and the subsequent rise of the English language. Latin has remained the language of science to this day. Thus, in almost every university field, one finds technical terms that are mostly of Latin or Greek origin or a mixture of both languages. In addition, Latin terms are used as stylistic devices. Accordingly, medicine also has numerous Latin technical words, a significant number of which are likely to have achieved a high degree of recognition due to the highlighted importance of this science.
For this reason, it makes sense to examine medical writings more closely for Latin words. A distinction should be made between technical words, for which there is often no equivalent of Germanic origin, and Latin stylistic devices. After collecting these terms and examining them more closely, the aim of this study is to find out whether there has been a decrease in the use of such literary stylistic devices over this 220-year period and whether the number of Latin technical terms has increased or whether no such development can be detected.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Data Collection and Methodology
- Analysis and Results
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This study aims to investigate the historical development of Latin word usage in scientific writing within the field of medical immunology. Specifically, it examines the evolution of Latin technical terms and stylistic devices over a period of 220 years, comparing a text from the 18th century by Edward Jenner with a contemporary World Health Organization background paper on a Covid-19 vaccine.
- The influence of Latin on scientific writing in medical immunology.
- The distinction between Latin technical terms and stylistic devices in medical texts.
- The historical development of Latin usage in medical writing from the 18th century to the present.
- The quantitative analysis of Latin terms in both historical and contemporary texts.
- The impact of the development of medical science on the use of Latin in medical writing.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of Latin usage in scientific writing, highlighting the importance of Latin in the history of European languages and its ongoing presence in various fields, including medicine. The study focuses on examining the use of Latin in medical writing by comparing a text from the 18th century with a contemporary scientific paper on a Covid-19 vaccine.
- Data Collection and Methodology: This chapter outlines the methodology employed for this study. It identifies the chosen texts for analysis: Edward Jenner's "Three original publications on vaccination against smallpox" and the World Health Organization background paper on the AstraZeneca vaccine AZD1222 (Vaxzevria). The chapter describes the process of identifying and classifying Latin terms as technical words or stylistic devices.
- Analysis and Results: This chapter presents the quantitative results of the analysis, comparing the frequency and types of Latin terms found in both texts. It examines the prominence of Latin technical terms in the contemporary WHO text and the use of Latin stylistic devices in Edward Jenner's publication, highlighting the differences and possible explanations for the observed trends.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary keywords and focus topics of this study are Latin, medical immunology, scientific writing, technical terms, stylistic devices, historical development, quantitative analysis, Edward Jenner, Covid-19 vaccine, World Health Organization, AstraZeneca, Vaxzevria, AZD1222, vaccination, inoculation, variolous, virus.
- Quote paper
- Oliver Kamm (Author), 2022, The History and Development of the use of Latin words in scientific writing in the field of Medical Immunology, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1494566
