Discussion»Questions»Science and Technology» A lot of science-related and scientific words are based on Latin or Greek roots. What are some other languages that also form that basis?
Yes, I do and did! I just left it at, 'French' to save time! In looking into where the English language comes from... the estimates vary but all do agree that a large percentage of the words we use today do come from French. For instance the word grand mal in terms of epilepsy comes from French. Gastronomy informed all those words we use for gastric and ditto metabolism. Sans is quite often used and the word machine comes from French. Neutral, nocturnal, purify, reservoir, technique, utensil.Then there's pasteurise, vernier, ampere, In fact so many words we associate with medico-linguistics are from French, including anatomy!
Do you mean, which other languages also use Latin and Ancient Greek words to create scientific terminology?
If so, the answer is no.
English is now the standard language for scientists. When scientists in non-English speaking countries communicate, while speaking their natal tongue they use the same Latinate and Greek-derived terminology as is used in English.
Thanks, I do some research and get back with a proper reply. Do you include the design and manufacture of satellite and wireless technologies, computers, mobile phone, operating systems, and aps?
Geology and Physical Geography adopt local-language, daily names for specific things typical to or best displayed in those countries. Some examples:
Wadi - Arabic (a gorge formed in arid deserts by flash floods). I think some types of sand dune are also described by their Arabic words.
Oasis - Egyptian via Greek
Geyser - Icelandic
Fjord - Norse
Steppe - Russian / Eurasian
Karst - Slav. (from kras, describing landscape formed by soluble rocks, principally limestone.)
Clint and Gryke - Northern English from Norse? (respectively, the slabs of rock and intervening open joints in the karst-feature called 'limestone pavement'. My mnemonic for remembering which is which, is "grinning gryke"!)
Silurian, Permian, Jurassic, etc: geological time-divisions named after their type-areas, but not always obviously - those respectively cite Wales, Perm (in Russia), and the Franco / Swiss Jura region.
Otherwise even many of the modern technical terms, including in fields like Electronics, have Latin or Greek roots: electron[ic] from Greek, elektron.
As well as wadis, oases and dunes, Arabic also gives us al-jabr, the nearest-spelling, but we call it algebra! Most Mathematics words though, are Latin or Greek.
Unfortunately those paid to look after the meanings, do not always consider the etymology, hence meaning; let alone any linguistic beauty. A friend who teaches science told me of his dismay at American geologists insisting everyone must spell the geological time called the Cainozoic, Cenozoic: he explained that it reverses the meaning from "full of life" to "devoid of life"!
SpunkySenior 