Simon Frantisek, Danko Ján
Lymphology. 2015 Mar;48(1):1-5.
The Latin word lympha is derived from the adjective limpidus = clear, transparent, although some Roman grammarians tried another derivation from the Greek word for water sprite nymfé, and then the adjective lymphaticus meant in Latin "stricken with nymph-like anger, gripped by madness." Thomas Bartholin, discoverer of the lymphatic system, was the first to use the word lymphaticus for new veins, because the liquid in them was watery. This term was accepted into the Basiliensia Nomina Anatomica but this did not mean the end of attempts at terminological changes, probably in an effort to eliminate the incorrect connotations based on the original understanding of this adjective. Other adjectival forms appeared, such as lympharis, lymphaceus, lymphatus, lymphovascularis. The most recent development is the adjective lymphoideus, occurring in the Terminologia Anatomica, which is supposed to mean the organs producing lymph but this is not correct, since the suffix -oideus indicates similarity. Considering that the anatomical nomenclature manages with the adjective urinarius for the organs which produce and carry urine, it should also manage with the adjective lymphaticus for the organs which produce and carry lymph.
拉丁词lympha源自形容词limpidus,意为清澈、透明,尽管一些罗马语法学家尝试从希腊词nymfé(意为水精灵)衍生出另一种词源,而后形容词lymphaticus在拉丁语中的意思是“被仙女般的愤怒所困扰,被疯狂所控制”。淋巴系统的发现者托马斯·巴托林是第一个将lymphaticus一词用于新发现的静脉的人,因为其中的液体是水样的。这个术语被收入《巴塞尔解剖学命名法》,但这并不意味着术语变更尝试的结束,可能是为了消除基于对这个形容词的原始理解而产生的不正确含义。出现了其他形容词形式,如lympharis、lymphaceus、lymphatus、lymphovascularis。最新的发展是在《解剖学命名法》中出现的形容词lymphoideus,它本应表示产生淋巴的器官,但这并不正确,因为后缀 -oideus表示相似性。考虑到解剖学命名法用形容词urinarius来表示产生和输送尿液的器官,那么它也应该用形容词lymphaticus来表示产生和输送淋巴的器官。