MEDICAL EPONYMS OF MYTHOLOGICAL ORIGIN

Eugeniusz Józef Kucharz

doi:10.31648/an.639

MEDICAL EPONYMS OF MYTHOLOGICAL ORIGIN

Eugeniusz Józef Kucharz

Katedra i Klinika Chorób Wewnętrznych i Reumatologii Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31648/an.639

Abstract

Eponyms account for a significant part of medical terminology. Their number is
estimated to be a few thousands. Almost all of them are anthroponyms and were coined
from names of authors describing a disease, symptom, sign, etc. A small portion of medical
eponyms are mythonyms, coined from names of mythological figures or creatures.
Mythonyms are classified into anatomical, physiological, pathological, psychiatric
and psychological groups. Two mythonyms describe the name of one medical specialty
(hygiene and venereology). Mythonyms were coined from late Renaissance to the 19th
century. Their relationship to a mythological figure is usually complex. Anatomical
mythonyms are referring shapes of mythological creatures. Other mythonyms refer
to stories or special features of mythological figures. The paper reviews more than
30 mythonyms, and describes their medical meaning, mythological origin and possible
relation between the mythological figure and eponym.

Keywords:

medical terminology, eponyms, mythonyms

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Published

2017-12-01

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