Morphological Ways of Creating Eponyms in English Medical Terminology

Abstract In English medical terminology, there is a steady tendency for the functioning and even an increase in the number of eponymous terms. The authors focus on the term formation potential of eponyms, ways of their creation, and the semantics of derived units. This paper highlights the main morphological methods of creating eponymous terms in English medical terminology. The suffixation is represented by the suffixes: -ia, -(i)an, -ean, -ella, -(i)al, -ic, -osis, -iasis, -ism, -itis, -oma, -ize. The productivity of this method is provided by derivational suffixes with a semantic burden borrowed from Greek and Latin languages. The semantic range of suffixes contributes to creating new terms with similar meanings. Prefixation in eponymous terms was limited to using prefixes pre- and non-. Only two terms were identified in our investigation: pre-Alzheimer’s brain and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The majority of eponymous terminological units are found to be formed by affix combination. The components of this type of eponymous term are the prefixes a-, anti-, de-, hemi-, non-, post-, pre-, and the suffixes -ian, -ic, -ism,-ize such as anti-Mullerian hormone or hemiparkinsonism. The prefix performs a word-building role as an affix with a mutational meaning, while the suffix generalizes and specifies the meaning of the term. The methods of the word and stem composition are not prevailing. There are structural models with the morphemes pseudo- in the preposition and -like in the postposition: pseudo-Cushing syndrome and Burkitt-like lymphoma. Morphological methods of creating eponymous terms combine borrowed and native English morphemes where the elucidation of derivatives relies on the meanings of their components. Suffixation occupies a dominant position in the creation of eponymous terminological units.