1 Lymphology 48 (2015) 1-5 ON THE ADJECTIVE LYMPHATICUS F. Simon, J. Danko Department of Classics (FS), Faculty of Arts, Pavol Jozef Safárik University in Kosice, and Institute of Anatomy (JD), Histology and Physiology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacology in Kosice, Slovakia ABSTRACT The origin of the word lympha in Latin grammar is not entirely clear. Linguisticians The Latin word lympha is derived from make the connection with the adjective the adjective limpidus = clear, transparent, limpidus = clear, transparent, used especially although some Roman grammarians tried to mean clear, pellucid liquid (1). In Roman another derivation from the Greek word for literature the word lympha, more frequently water sprite nymfé, and then the adjective the plural lymphae, was commonly used in lymphaticus meant in Latin “stricken with the sense of clear water, or a source of pure nymph-like anger, gripped by madness.” water. Isidor of Seville, polyhistorian at the Thomas Bartholin, discoverer of the lymphatic crossover from antiquity to medieval times, system, was the first to use the word observes that Limpidum vinum, id est lymphaticus for new veins, because the liquid perspicuum, ab aquae specie dictum, quasi in them was watery. This term was accepted lymphidum; lympha enim aqua est (2), i.e., into the Basiliensia Nomina Anatomica but limpid wine is that which is translucent, this did not mean the end of attempts at named for its watery look, as if it were terminological changes, probably in an effort lymphidum, for lympha is water. The Roman to eliminate the incorrect connotations based grammarian Varro however tried to derive on the original understanding of this adjective. the word lympha from the Greek name for Other adjectival forms appeared, such as water sprite nymfé, originating through lympharis, lymphaceus, lymphatus, lympho- dissimilation of the sound n to l (3). Festus, vascularis. The most recent development is author of a defining dictionary of Latin words, the adjective lymphoideus, occurring in the literally states: Lymphae dictae sunt a nymphis, Terminologia Anatomica, which is supposed to i.e., Lymphs got their name from nymphs (4). mean the organs producing lymph but this is The adjective lymphaticus meant in Latin not correct, since the suffix -oideus indicates “stricken with nymph-like anger, gripped by similarity. Considering that the anatomical madness.” It was traditionally said of nomenclature manages with the adjective nymphs, rather like the forest god Pan, that urinarius for the organs which produce and whoever saw them, or even claimed to have carry urine, it should also manage with the seen them, would be stricken with madness. adjective lymphaticus for the organs which For this reason Seneca, for example, speaks produce and carry lymph. of metus lymphaticus, meaning frantic fear, or otherwise hydrophobia (5). Keywords: anatomical nomenclature, adjective The words lympha and lymphaticus lymphatic, lymphaticus, linguistics, history were however not used in Roman medical Permission granted for single print for individual use. Reproduction not permitted without permission of Journal LYMPHOLOGY. 2 literature. The only exception is the medical considering himself as having discovered poem by Quintus Serenus Sammonicus, where them, he chose the adjective lymphaticus for œdema is referred to as error lymphaticus (6), them. He proceeded from the meaning of the which might be taken as “stricken with Latin word lympha and used it to name the madness.” For a long time then, these words liquid contained in those vessels. Apart from played no part in medical terminology, the name vasa lymphatica, he also accepted appearing only much later in the 17th the term vasa aquosa (watery vessels) and century in connection with the discovery of vasa chrystallina (crystalline vessels). He did the lymphatic system. The first to observe the not insist on the name vasa lymphatica, lymphatic system was the Roman anatomist saying he would accept some other “nomen- Bartolomeo Eustachi, who mentioned in his clature” so long as it was more appropriate writings on the non-paired vein the ductus (13). At the same time as Bartholin, Swedish thoracicus in the horse. He noticed what he anatomist Olaf Rudbeck also discovered these called a great offspring which was alba et new vessels, and a sharp exchange of claims aquei humoris plena (7), i.e., white and full of for first place developed between them (14- watery liquid, and he named it vena alba, or 16). Rudbeck named these vessels vasa serosa, white vein. This insight went unheeded for a serous vessels, because they contained serum long time though (8). In 1622 the anatomist (17). Bartholin however did not agree with Gaspare Aselli of Padua discovered lymphatic this name, since serum ... ab aqua hac lipida vessels in the guts of a dog. In the work diversa est, i.e., serum differs from this clear which he wrote on this discovery, he devoted water (13). a whole chapter to the naming of these newly Thomas Bartholin though was the more discovered vessels. In his view, new things famous anatomist; he had authority, and he should have new names, which could be had pupils who spread his teaching and with obtained in three ways: completely new ones it also the term vasa lymphatica, so this could be invented, they could be derived became established in anatomical terminology from existing ones, or they could simply be (15-16). This did not happen immediately or borrowed from some other, similar thing. straightforwardly, however. Soemmerring This third way was used by Aselli himself, for instance uses the name vasa absorbentia, who named his discovery venae lacteae, and in the introduction to his chapter on milky veins, venae albae or lactes. He called these vessels, he presents a whole range of these vessels venae because they were similar other names as well: vasa resorbentia, ductus to veins, and lacteae because they contained a aquosi, ductus lymphae, vasa lymphatica, milk- like liquid, and also because the Latin serosa, valvulosa, diaphana, chrystallina, word lactes means the small intestine, or the lactea, chylosa, chylifera (18). Nevertheless mesenterium (9). The name vasa lactea was it is possible to trace the occurrence of then used by other authors who found these Bartholin’s term in the well-known medical vessels in humans too, and not only in the dictionaries. Castelli’s dictionary, which was intestines and mesentery but in other parts of published in many editions, did not yet the body as well (8,10-11). Danish anatomist include it in 1665 (19), and the first time Thomas Bartholin, considered to be the lympha appears as a head-word was in 1682 discoverer of the lymphatic system, published (20). Ultimately the first unified anatomical the first information on his findings in 1652. nomenclature, Basiliensia Nomina Anatomica, However like Aselli, whom he frequently accepted the adjective lymphaticus without cited in his works, he did not apply the term reservation, discussing rather which lymphaticus in that publication, but used vasa substantives could be associated with it lactea, or vasa nova (12). Later though, since (glandula, lymphoglandula, nodus, nodulus, the liquid in these new veins was watery, and ganglion) (21). Permission granted for single print for individual use. Reproduction not permitted without permission of Journal LYMPHOLOGY. 3 Acceptance of the term lymphaticus in medical terminology from the 19th century the official anatomical nomenclature, onwards but only in a pathological context. however, did not put an end to attempts at In the 20th century though the expression terminological change, which were probably lymphoid system started being used in efforts to eliminate the incorrect connotations anatomy as well, and the term textus based on the original understanding of this lymphoideus entered into the official histo- adjective. H. Triepel proposed the term vasa logical nomenclature on its second issuing lympharia (22), and in Ienaiensia Nomina in 1983 (30). Its presence in the anatomical Anatomica, which strove to pay greater nomenclature raises certain questions, respect to original Latin, the term was altered however, since the suffix oideus means to vasa lymphacea (23). Parisiensia Nomina similarity, so that nodus lymphoideus for Anatomica on the other hand returned to the example should have the meaning “a node original adjective lymphaticus (24). Another similar to lymph” (34). From the historical similar adjectival form is lymphatus, which point of view the form lymphoideus could be occurred in classical Roman literature itself explained as an adjective indicating that in its original meaning, i.e., frenzied, for lympha is not an absolutely clear liquid, in example in Catullus: the Satyrs lymphata contrast to the original meaning of the word mente furebant, i.e., raged with frenzied mind lympha, but that it is only similar to the (25). This adjective also appears in medieval latter. In that case though the anatomical Latin, for example in Erasmus of Rotterdam, nomenclature should contain only the form who used it in his famous Oration in Praise lymphoideus, and not lymphaticus as well. of the Art of Medicine dated 1530: patient Wikipedia explains the difference between may be phreneticus, lethargicus, maniacus or lymphaticus and lymphoideus in this way: lymphatus (1973), i.e., suffering from phrenitis, lymphatic is used for the lymph-transporting lethargy, madness or frenzy (26). In 17th system and lymphoid is used for the tissues century medical literature, it is found as the where lymphocytes are formed (35). Thus phrase vas lymphatum in anatomy of Isbrand Terminologia Anatomica properly respects van Diemerbroeck (27), and rarely there is a this difference in that the anatomical parts proposal to use the form lymphata as a included within the cardiovascular system substantive intended to replace lymphatica as are attributed with the adjective lymphaticus, a generic name for the larger lymph channels e.g., vas lymphaticum, ductus lymphaticus, or ducts (28).