Anatomical name "vein" in written monuments of a medical nature

Abstract

The article summarizes information about the etymology and semantics of the anatomical term "vein" (or "sinew"). It provides examples of the usage of this lexeme in the written monuments of medical content from the 17th-18th centuries. The article notes that in a certain synchronous layer of the language, the term "vein" was used to refer to such anatomical objects as a vessel, nerve, and tendon, with differentiated meanings often clarified by contextual definitions. The peculiarities of fixing this name in the Dictionary of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1789-1794) are noted, the linguistic situation associated with the teaching of anatomy in medical schools of that time is commented on. Reflections are expressed on why there was no termination of the "vein" in anatomy. The linguistic facts that can serve as an addition to the materials of the Dictionary of the Russian language of the 18th century are revealed.