Some clarification on two terms used in medical texts written in old anatolia Turkish: Çignemek and çeynemek

Abstract

Medical texts that were written in 14th-15th century Anatolian Turkish possess a very important vocabulary, which reveals the quality and functionality of the period's Turkish medical terminology. However, in order to present this vocabulary clearly, it is vital to examine the texts with scrutiny and know medical concept of the time. This article examines two terms that have been mistakenly translated and interpreted while translating into modern Turkish. These terms are "Çignemek" and "çeynemek". Çignemek and çeynemek are two different medical terms which are used in medical texts written in Old Anatolia Turkish. However, these two terms are thought to have the same meaning and used interchangably. This misconceptualization may lead to misinterpretations when such texts were translated or interpreted. The result of our studies, based on many medical text, has shown that çignemek is used for an illness or a symptom of an illness; however, çeynemek is used for a method of treatment of an illness. This article aims at enlightining the issue with examples from medical texts and correct the misconceptualization.