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GREEK AND LATIN IN BIOLOGY AND THE LANGUAGE ROOTS OF SCIENTIFIC NAMING

Klaus Wiemann,Shomurodova Shaxlo Jaxonovna , Professor of Freie Universität Berlin/Professor, Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages

Abstract

The practice of assigning scientific names in biology heavily depends on classical languages, specifically Greek and Latin. These ancient languages form the core of binomial nomenclature—the universal method of naming species using two-part Latin or Latinized labels. Historically, Latin was the primary language of science and scholarship across Europe, while Greek shaped early medical and philosophical texts. Since these languages are no longer evolving, they provide a stable foundation for consistent and unchanging scientific terms. This article investigates the historical background, linguistic significance, and ongoing importance of classical languages in taxonomy. Using a literature review and etymological analysis of taxonomic terms, it demonstrates how Greek and Latin contribute to clarity, precision, and effective global scientific communication.

Keywords

Greek, Latin, taxonomy, binomial nomenclature, biological classification, scientific naming, Linnaeus, etymology, species terminology, classical languages.

References

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). (1999). International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (4th ed.).

International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN). (2018). Shenzhen Code: adopted by the Nineteenth International Botanical Congress, Shenzhen, China, July 2017.

Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae (10th ed.).

Simpson, M. G. (2019). Plant Systematics (3rd ed.). Academic Press.

Stearn, W. T. (1992). Botanical Latin (4th ed.). Timber Press.

Yoon, C. K. (2009). Naming Nature: The Clash Between Instinct and Science. W. W. Norton & Company.

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GREEK AND LATIN IN BIOLOGY AND THE LANGUAGE ROOTS OF SCIENTIFIC NAMING. (2025). International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, 5(05), 2555-2557. https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai/article/view/4977