International Journal Of Literature And Languages
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VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue07 2025
PAGE NO.
23-25
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue07-07
On the Characteristics of Arabic-Origin Medical Units in
The Work “The Canon
of
Medicine’’
Umriniso Mahksud qizi Bahkrieva
Doctoral Student, Department of Uzbek Linguistics and Journalism, Bukhara State University, Uzbekistan
Received:
11 May 2025;
Accepted:
07 June 2025;
Published:
09 July 2025
Abstract:
This article explores the lexical-semantic features of Arabic-derived medical units found in Abu Ali Ibn
Sina’s Canon of Medicine. It analyzes how these terms entered the Uzbek language, their semantic
transformation, instances of polysemy and homonymy, and their usage in both modern medical language and
colloquial speech. The analysis focuses on historically significant terms such as dabba, xafaqon, and moxov,
examining their medical and stylistic characteristics, meanings in explanatory dictionaries, and functions in artistic
and spoken discourse.
Keywords:
Abu Ali Ibn Sina, Canon of Medicine, Arabic borrowings, medical terms, dabba, xafaqon, moxov,
medical linguistics, semantics, homonymy, terminology studies.
Introduction:
The lexical richness of a language is
closely intertwined with the political, cultural, and
scientific-spiritual development of any nation. This
process is characterized by constant evolution and
uninterrupted progress. In the formation of the lexical
system, alongside internal mechanisms, borrowed
units from external sources
—
that is, from other
languages
—
play a significant role. In particular, due to
historical events, cultural interactions, and religious-
educational influences, the Uzbek language has
assimilated a considerable number of words from
Arabic, Persian-Tajik, Greek, Latin, Russian, English,
French, and other languages at various stages of its
development.
Today, a notable portion of the Uzbek lexical system
consists of such borrowed units. These words have
played an indispensable role in the development of the
literary language and the expansion of terminological
systems in various fields of science and technology
—
especially in medical terminology. From this
perspective, studying the function and position of
borrowed elements in the medical language from a
historical and theoretical point of view remains a
relevant issue.
Throughout the course of history, languages have
developed through interaction and mutual contact,
making lexical exchange between languages a natural
phenomenon. No language has evolved in isolation,
free from the influence of others. Notably, the work Al-
Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine), authored by
one of the greatest scholars of the Eastern Renaissance,
Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna), served as a bridge between
Eastern and Western science
—
particularly in the field
of medicine. Many of the medical terms employed in
this work entered the language through Arabic and
now serve as a vital source for the formation of the
medical lexicon in modern Uzbek.
This article provides a linguistic analysis of the lexical
and semantic features of Arabic-origin medical units
found in The Canon of Medicine, examining their role
in the process of terminologization and their
connection to modern medical language.
The supplementary section titled "Guidelines for Using
the Book", attached to Volume I of the 2020 edition of
The Canon of Medicine, places special emphasis on the
following point:
"Most of the Arabic, Persian, and Greek words printed
in italics are explained in the footnotes. More detailed
information about pharmaceutical substances can be
found in the Second and Fifth books of the Canon, while
definitions of disease-related terms are provided in the
Third and Fourth books. A table clarifying units of
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
weight is included in the appendix to the Second book."
This explanatory note clearly indicates that many of the
medical terms and scientific concepts used in The
Canon of Medicine are borrowed
—
primarily from
Arabic, Persian, and Greek. In particular, the use of
italics to highlight borrowed units underscores the
importance of special attention by the reader in
understanding these terms.
Moreover, this fact also attests to the active
involvement of external sources
—
including Greek and
Latin, alongside Arabic and Persian
—
in shaping and
enriching the lexical corpus of the Uzbek language,
especially its medical terminology. This process was
realized not only through translation efforts but also
through early forms of term creation, systematization,
and explanation. As a result, The Canon of Medicine is
valued not only as a historical source but also as an
invaluable reference for linguistic and terminological
studies.
METHOD
In the Islamic world, the science of medicine developed
through the Arabic language, building upon the ancient
Greek and Persian intellectual heritage. In the scholarly
and cultural environment of the medieval Muslim
world, medical treatises were predominantly written in
Arabic. This significantly contributed to the spread of
Arabic-origin medical terms into other languages,
including Uzbek. Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of
Medicine) by Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna) was also
authored in Arabic and contains numerous medical
concepts expressed through borrowed Arabic terms.
For example, the term “dabba” is borrowed from
Arabic and originally means “to move slowly,” “to
crawl,” or “to penetrate.” In Avicenna’s work, it is used
as a medical term referring to the abnormal
displacement of internal organs beyond their
anatomical boundaries
—
in modern terms, a hernia.
The Second Section of the First Chapter of the Third
Book of The Canon is titled “On Dabba and Similar
Conditions”, where various types of hernias are
discussed. Avicenna uses both “dabba” and its
synonym “fataq” to describe not only modern hernia
types but also other related medical conditions.
Notably, conditions categorized under the term “udra”
are also included in this classification. “Udra” refers to
what is now known in modern medical terminology as
hydrocele
—
a condition characterized by fluid
accumulation between the membranes surrounding
the male genitalia. This example demonstrates
Avicenna’s capacity for semantic generalization and his
reliance on precise clinical observations in elevating
symptoms and diseases to the level of formal medical
terminology.
One noteworthy aspect is that the word “dabba” also
functions as a homonym in Uzbek. According to the
Explanatory Dictionary of the Uzbek Language, “dabba”
also refers to a leather pouch (borrowed from Persian)
used to store oil or other liquids. This highlights the
multi-layered semantic structure of loanwords in Uzbek
and their integration within historical and cultural
contexts.
The term “xafaqon” is another Arabic
-origin medical
term, defined in Avicenna’s work as a pathological
condition related to heart function
—
specifically,
painful episodes arising either directly within the heart
or in closely associated organs. In The Canon of
Medicine, the term describes a disorder involving
irregular pulsations, internal unrest, and abnormal
heart rhythms, often manifesting as fluttering or
palpitations. These symptoms are frequently linked to
emotional stress, psychological excitement, physical
exhaustion, or functional disorders of internal organs.
In the Explanatory Dictionary of the Uzbek Language,
“xafaqon” is defined as:
An abnormal and rapid heartbeat, heart rhythm
disturbances;
In some cases, a serious condition characterized by
intense chest pain, sometimes leading to loss of
consciousness.
Thus, in modern medical terms, “xafaqon” corresponds
approximately to tachycardia (accelerated heart rate)
and, in certain contexts, arrhythmia (irregular
heartbeat). However, in Avicenna’s time, the term
described a broader clinical syndrome, encompassing
general physical weakness, pain in the chest area, and
difficulty breathing
—
not just a heart rhythm disorder.
Furthermore, in colloquial Uzbek, the phrase “xafaqon
bosmoq” expresses emotional unrest and physical
symptoms such as heart palpitations, indicating that
the term has become entrenched in everyday language
beyond its technical usage.
Another notable term is “moxov”, a loanword from
Arabic that functions both as a medical term and as a
polysemous lexeme in Uzbek. It derives from the Arabic
verb maḥw (
وحم
), meaning
“
to erase,
” “
to disappear,
”
or “to eliminate.” According to Avicenna’s description
in The Canon of Medicine, moxov refers to a severe
disease caused by the systemic spread of corrupted
substances throughout the div. This illness alters the
appearance of bodily organs, sometimes leading to
disfigurement or even the erosion of limbs. The
definition emphasizes its chronic pathological nature
and the severe, externally visible manifestations of the
disease.
Modern sources, including Wikipedia, describe moxov
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
as:
A chronic infectious disease affecting the entire
organism, particularly the skin, nervous system, and
internal organs.
In contemporary medicine, this disease is known as
leprosy, historically regarded as a dangerous,
contagious, and socially isolating illness.
The lexical-semantic characterizat
ion of “moxov” in
Uzbek is notably broad, with the term functioning as a
homonym across several registers:
As a medical term
–
denoting the disease:
“Yes, Botir aka, nowadays people avoid me like I have
leprosy.” (Said Ahmad)
In a pejorative sense
–
implying something despicable
or troublesome:
“It's tough —
like a cursed crop, just like leprosy.”
(Media source)
As a curse or insult
–
expressing hatred or social
exclusion:
“Beat him, the damn leper!”
These examples show how “moxov” has extended
beyond its original medical meaning and entered the
emotional and stylistic layers of the Uzbek language,
serving as a tool for sarcasm, condemnation, and
negative social labeling. This semantic expansion
reflects its enriched socio-cultural function in the
language.
Additionally, in literary and oral traditions, the disease
moxov is often depicted as a symbol of human tragedy,
social alienation, and humiliation. The linguistic units
surrounding this illness reflect societal attitudes of fear,
pity, and psychological despair. For instance:
"Your sister is in a bad state... her whole div is
covered... I left the hospital. We ran around to doctors
for a week.”[6]
Such examples suggest that moxov is not only a medical
condition but also a linguistic, cultural, and
psychological phenomenon.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the Arabic medical terms found in The
Canon of Medicine did not enter the Uzbek language
solely through direct translation or borrowing. Rather,
these terms have undergone specific semantic
transformations within the Uzbek linguistic system,
often
acquiring
multifaceted
meanings.
This
phenomenon reflects, on the one hand, the natural
outcome of historical and cultural language contact,
and on the other, the adaptive capacity and semantic
breadth inherent in the Uzbek lexicon.
The lexical, terminological, and stylistic analysis of
terms such as dabba, xafaqon, and moxov
demonstrates that these units are not merely carriers
of medical information. They also function as linguistic
phenomena that encapsulate the socio-historical
mindset and cultural consciousness of their time. Some
of these terms continue to be actively used in
contemporary Uzbek, either in their original medical
sense or as metaphorical and expressive tools in
various discourse contexts.
Therefore, the linguistic study of such terms is not only
relevant for terminology studies, but also represents a
significant scholarly task in the broader fields of
lexicology, stylistics, and cultural linguistics.
REFERENCES
Explanatory Dictionary of the Uzbek Language. (2022).
Tashkent: Gʻafur Gʻulom Publishing House.
Rahmatullayev, Sh. (2000). Etymological Dictionary of
the Uzbek Language (Vol. 1). Tashkent: Universitet
Publishing.
Ibn Sina. (2020). The Canon of Medicine (Vol. IV, 3rd
ed.). Tashkent: Sharq Publishing.
Qodirov, A., & Qoʻchqorov, B. (2009). Russian
-Uzbek
Medical Dictionary. Tashkent: Oʻzbekiston Publishing.
Danilenko, V. P. (1977). Russian Terminology: An
Attempt at Linguistic Description. Moscow: Nauka.
Mirzo, I. (2018). Bonu. Tashkent: Sharq Publishing. p.
300. (In Uzbek)
https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moxov
https://soff.uz/product/tibbiyot-moxov-lepra-ganzen-
kasalligi
https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xafaqon
