The linguistic roots of Modern English anatomical terminology

A review of anatomical terminology for the hip bone

Anatomists have been attempting to standardize anatomical terminology of the human body and in doing so created the Terminologia Anatomica as a standard language of anatomy. Despite developments such as the Terminologia Anatomica, a lack of consistency of anatomical terminology is still seen across and within disciplines. This study explores the variation in terminology for the hip bone through a literature review. In total, ten terms used to describe the hip bone were searched in PubMed, JSTOR, and EBSCO databases: "coxal bone," "hip bone," "innominate bone," "os coxa," "os coxae," "ossa coxa," "ossa coxae," "os innominatum," "os pelvicum," and "pelvic bone." Results found that the terms "hip bone" and "pelvic bone" were the most commonly used terms, with the most frequently used discipline being medicine. However, we argue against the use of these terms in favor of "coxal bone" or "innominate bone." "Hip bone" should be avoided due to its colloquial nature, and "pelvic bone" is not specific enough to the structure of the hip. Latin terms are often incorrectly conjugated (e.g., "os coxae"); therefore, the English equivalent should be used when possible. Regardless, standardization of anatomical terminology should be adopted through consensus by practitioners, researchers, and stakeholders.

The use of Latin terminology in medical case reports: quantitative, structural, and thematic analysis

BACKGROUND

This paper focuses on the prevalence of Latin terms and terminological collocations in the issues of Journal of Medical Case Reports (February 2007-August 2017) and discusses the role of Latin terminology in the contemporary process of writing medical case reports.

METHODS

The objective of the research is to study the frequency of using Latin terminology in English-language medical case reports, thus providing relevant guidelines for medical professionals who deal with this genre and drawing their attention to the peculiarities of using Latin in case reports. The selected medical case reports are considered, using methods of quantitative examination and structural, narrative, and contextual analyses.

RESULTS

We developed structural and thematic typologies of Latin terms and expressions, and we conducted a quantitative analysis that enabled us to observe the tendencies in using these lexical units in medical case reports. The research revealed that the use of Latin fully complies with the communicative strategies of medical case reports as a genre. Owing to the fact that Latin medical lexis is internationally adopted and understood worldwide, it promotes the conciseness of medical case reports, as well as contributes to their narrative style and educational intentions.

CONCLUSIONS

The adequate use of Latin terms in medical case reports is an essential prerequisite of effective sharing of one's clinical findings with fellow researchers from all over the world. Therefore, it is highly important to draw students' attention to Latin terms and expressions that are used in medical case reports most frequently. Hence, the analysis of structural, thematic, and contextual features of Latin terms in case reports should be an integral part of curricula at medical universities.

An unwritten anatomy lesson: The influence of Roman clothing on neuroanatomical terminology: In memoriam Albert L. Rhoton, Jr. (1932-2016)

Throughout the centuries, anatomists attempting to denominate the new structures they discovered have found inspiration in the civilization of ancient Rome and the clothing worn by its citizens. This aricle presents the origins of seven neuroanatomical terms, fimbria, velum, funiculus, lemniscus, corona, splenium, and cingulum, inspired by the clothing and jewellery of Roman women and the military attire of Roman soldiers. Thus, through their apparel, the Romans influenced the Terminologia Anatomica and "clothed" the structures of the brain and spinal cord, making them immortal. Clin. Anat. 29:685-690, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.