This study aims to analyze the structural and semantic aspects of medical terms, particularly those formed with organ names, found in Lisânü’l-Etibbâ, a 17th-century work written by Hezarfen Hüseyin Efendi. Lisânü’l-Etibbâ is not merely a dictionary but also a significant source that reflects the medical knowledge of the Ottoman period, vernacular language use, multilingual interactions, and the scientific terminology of its time. The work includes terms derived not only from Arabic and Persian but also from Syriac, Armenian, Greek, and Latin, offering explanations of their origins and thus highlighting the linguistic diversity of Ottoman medical language. The morphological structures of the terms-such as noun phrases, adjective phrases, and participial constructions-are examined in detail. In addition, semantic distinctions among words like “pain,” “ache,” and “soreness” are explored to reveal their nuanced meanings. The use of non-Turkish-origin but Turkified terms in everyday speech is also analyzed. As such, this work serves as a valuable resource for understanding medical history, lexicography, and the multilingual nature of Ottoman society.
Lisânü’l-Etibbâ, Ottoman medicine, medical terminology, organ names, lexicography.