Languages don’t come easily for me. Ninth grade Spanish still stands as my hardest class, slaving for hours and hours just to learn a few words. So it is a surprised to find that I am now learning a new language… the medical language.
Most medical terminology is founded in Greek and Latin words. We owe a lot to our Greek predecessors. Some of the earliest medical terminology was found in Greek Hippocratic writings dating back to the “5th and 4th centuries BC”. Most of these Greek terms were later changed to Latin but some still remain.
Although this new language may be hard for someone like me to learn it was common language for the Greeks. Most of the medical terms represented something in nature or society, for example the word the bone in your lower leg is named your tibia which means flute. Thus, it would have been easier for someone in ancient world to learn medical words then it is for us now. It’s completely Greek to me.
It is amazing that this the use of Greek and Latin in the medical world has withstood the test of time. Still today in all of my classes Greek and Latin words are use regularly but now I understand what they are saying. I can’t wait to learn more about the people who changed the medical world forever.
works cited
http://debpotts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/aaphoto-300x300.jpeg?fe33b2
Wulff, H. (n.d.). The language of medicine. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
Loved the correlation between the common phrase "it's Greek to me", and the actual use of Greek in the medical field. Great post.
ReplyDeleteLoved the correlation between the common phrase "it's Greek to me", and the actual use of Greek in the medical field. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they called it "tibia" because they could make a flute out of it. Weird. But I love learning about etymology; thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I love your creative use of the pictures! I wonder why the Greek and Latin languages have continued to be prevalent in medical and scientific terminologies, even today. A large portion of the English Language has certainly evolved from Greek and Latin roots!
ReplyDeleteIt's remarkable how Ancient Greek instruction has trickled down through time all the way to the 21st century. For example, many Greek letters are still used in math and physics.
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