Two-word Composite Names of Late 19th – Early 20th Century with “liga” as Head Element and Dependent Elements Expressed by Adjectives

  • Palmira Zemlevičiūtė
Keywords: medicine, term, two-word composite name, name of disease, head element, dependent element

Abstract

The article sets out to analyse two-word composite names with liga as the head element and dependent elements expressed by adjectives, which were used in the medical press of the late 19th century–early 20th century written in popular scientific style (books, booklets, newspaper and calendar articles). It attempts to determine by which semantic aspects dependent elements describe the head element liga and what specific features of expression of these elements are. The dependent element may describe the head element liga by various semantic aspects – by the latter’s association with some non-material (usually) (time, type of manifestation, etc.) and material (rarely) (organism, body liquid, organ, etc.) matter. Dependent elements take the form of simple, pronominal and derivative (in most cases) adjectives. In rare cases the dependent elements of the composite names with the head component liga indicate superordinate concepts – they mark a general specific feature and should be considered proper terms. In most cases dependent elements specify a temporary quality and should therefore be considered descriptive word phrases.

Section
History of Terminology