The Medieval Islamicate Terms in Science
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21111/injas.v3i1.14353Keywords:
Islamicate science, medieval terminology, Arabic scientific lexicon, knowledge transfer, cross-cultural exchange, history of scienceAbstract
The medieval Islamicate world (8th–15th centuries) experienced a profound expansion of scientific knowledge and terminology, driven by the translation of Greek, Persian, and Indian works into Arabic and later Latin. This process generated technical terms in astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and optics—such as al-jabr, sifr, al-kuḥl, and azimuth—that embodied conceptual advances by scholars like al-Khwarizmi, Ibn al-Haytham, and Avicenna. These terms functioned not merely as linguistic borrowings but as markers of theoretical innovation, blending empirical observation with philosophical inquiry. Through intellectual exchanges in Andalusia, Sicily, and the Crusader states, many Arabic-derived terms entered European scientific discourse, retaining their phonetic form. The persistence of words such as “algorithm,” “zenith,” and “nadir” illustrates the enduring legacy of medieval Islamicate scholarship. This study investigates the etymology, semantic development, and disciplinary contexts of selected terms, revealing their significance in cross-cultural knowledge transmission and the historical continuity between language and scientific advancement.References
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