Bieliaieva O. M., Lysanets Yu. V., Synytsia V. H., Hutsol M. I., Solohor I. M., Kyryk T. V., Taran Z. M.
LATIN AS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF BOTANICAL NOMENCLATURE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONTEMPORARY SIGNIFICANCE
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About the author:
Bieliaieva O. M., Lysanets Yu. V., Synytsia V. H., Hutsol M. I., Solohor I. M., Kyryk T. V., Taran Z. M.
Heading:
LITERATURE REVIEWS
Type of article:
Scientific article
Annotation:
The formation of botanical nomenclature constitutes a prolonged, complex, and multilayered process determined by the necessity for the unification and standardization of knowledge concerning the plant world. The evolution of approaches to plant nomination ‒ from variable vernacular and dialectal designations to a rigorously regulated system ‒ reflects the general patterns underlying the development of scientific thought, particularly the transition from empirical descriptions to systematically organized and standardized terminological systems. To organize knowledge about the environment, humans have long relied on names that made it possible to designate, distinguish, record, systematize, preserve, specify, and transmit information about various objects, entities, and phenomena. In the case of plants, their names and the information embedded within them are of particular significance, since the immense diversity of plant species renders their nomination and classification an exceptionally important scientific task. The multiplicity of national, vernacular, and dialectal names fails to ensure mutual understanding among scholars from different countries and demonstrates the limitations of local naming systems, thereby necessitating the development of a universal approach to plant classification. The evolution of approaches to plant nomination ‒ from variable folk and dialectal designations to a rigorously regulated system ‒ reflects the general patterns in the development of scientific thought, in particular the transition from empirical descriptions to systematically organized and standardized terminological systems. A key stage in the formation of modern botanical nomenclature was the introduction of the binomial system initiated by Carl Linnaeus, who drew upon the scholarly achievements of his predecessors. This system established the principles of unambiguity, conciseness, and hierarchical organization in plant classification. The subsequent codification of these principles in international codes contributed to the emergence of a global scientific space with unified rules of term formation. At the same time, despite contemporary trends and transformations in the linguistic landscape of science, Latin continues to perform both nominative and cognitive-methodological functions, thereby ensuring the conceptual integrity of the scientific representation of the plant world. It retains its status as a supranational instrument of professional communication due to its stability, terminological precision, and historical continuity. Its use minimizes ambiguity and guarantees the continuity of scientific knowledge. The growing prominence of national languages in contemporary scientific discourse does not diminish but rather reinforces the role of Latin as a foundational element of nomenclature, since its elimination could lead to the disintegration of the terminological space and complicate interdisciplinary and international scholarly communication. Thus, botanical nomenclature emerges as a system-forming component of the epistemological structure of biological knowledge, reflecting the interaction of tradition and innovation in the development of science.
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Publication of the article:
«Bulletin of problems biology and medicine», 2026 Issue 2, 181, 17-24 pages, index UDC 811.124'276.6:58
