"Ślady ślimaka" i "kule śnieżne" – rozważania o języku polskiej okulistyki

Abstract

The article constitutes a brief overview of the language of Polish ophthalmo- logists. The article has been divided into four parts. Part one identifies the pos-sible distinctions within the general language of ophthalmology. It shows that the language of ophthalmologists is not only the language used by the doctors to communicate with one another, but also the language used in conversations with the patients, as well as the language of specialist literature and medical records. Part two describes the ways in which Polish ophthalmologists employ specialist terminology, pointing to the tendencies to use loanwords and create neologisms. Part three concerns the abbreviations used in the field, showcasing the influence of English (particularly with regard to abbreviations concerning modern technology and treatment). Part four attempts to provide a description of the metaphors used by ophthalmologists, pointing to their extralinguistic sources. Phrases such as ‘traces of the snail’ or ‘snowballs’ point to the possibility of utilizing the linguistic worldview in the linguistic space of ophthalmologists.