L1.2.1: Origin and Globalization

• Banay, G (1948)

  "Although medical terms have been drawn from many languages, a large majority are from Greek and Latin."
• • there are about 3/4 of medical terms that are Greek
  • Greek: founders of rational medicine
• Latin (Medicine)

  medicina: profession

  medicus: physician
• Micic, S. (2013)

  "The language of medicine is founded on Greco-Latin terminology"

  • Mici supports Banay's claim
• Baethge, C. (2008)

  "Medicine uses one lingua franca but speaks with many tongues."
• Baethge, C. (2008)

  "English has assumed a leading role as the international language of medicine."
• lingua franca


  a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different
• • communication beyond borders: so use 1 language
  • Baethge acknowledges other Germanic languages and other languages but 1 language for medicine is necessary
• Baethge

  • International communication among clinicians and scientists is in English
  • Patient and colleague contacts within countries is in mother tongue
• Globalization

  • nation seek to be interdependent
  • health sciences cope by unifying medicine through a common language