Basic drug names
Most names of medicinal products and substances in Latin are neuter nouns belonging to the second declension. In the nominative singular (Nominativus singularis) they end in -um, and in the genitive singular (Genitivus singularis) in -i (gender — n, neutrum).
This broad group includes:
- Sacchărum, i n — sugar.
- Talcum, i n — talc.
- Vaselinum, i n — petrolatum (vaseline).
- Antibiotics and synthetic drugs: Tetracyclīnum, i n (tetracycline), Oxacillinum, i n (oxacillin), Sulfacylum, i n (sulfacyl), Diazepamum, i n (diazepam).
- Drugs of plant and other origin: Validōlum, i n (validol), Coffeinum, i n (caffeine), Hydrocortisonum, i n (hydrocortisone).
Special attention should be paid to multi-word terms with an uncoordinated attribute. For example, wheat starch is translated as Amylum (i n) Tritici, and peach oil as Oleum Persicorum. In the second case, Persicorum is an uncoordinated attribute formed from the neuter noun of the second declension Persicum, i n (peach).
Nomenclature of acids (Nomina acidorum)
Latin acid names are always constructed according to a strict pattern: the noun Acidum (acid) comes first, followed by an agreeing adjective. Since the word Acidum is neuter, the adjective must also take a neuter ending.
Key examples from the lexical minimum:
- Acidum aceticum — Acetic acid.
- Acidum acetylsalicylicum — Acetylsalicylic acid (commonly known by the trivial name Aspirinum).
First and second declension pharmaceutical adjectives
To accurately describe the properties of medicinal substances, their state of matter, or color, first and second group adjectives are used. In the dictionary, they are listed with the endings of three genders: masculine (-us), feminine (-a), and neuter (-um).
Adjectives describing state and form:
- concentratus, a, um — concentrated;
- dilūtus, a, um — diluted;
- fluĭdus, a, um — liquid, fluid;
- destillātus, a, um — distilled (frequently used with aqua, ae f — water);
- depuratus, a, um — purified (traditionally used for sulfur);
- obductus, a, um — coated;
- oleōsus, a, um — oily, prepared in oil;
- spirituosus, a, um — alcoholic, spirituous;
- aethylĭcus, a, um — ethyl.
Adjectives of color and action:
- albus, a, um — white;
- flavus, a, um — yellow;
- cholagōgus, a, um — cholagogue.
Special terms and prescription expressions
In addition to specific drug names, the lexical minimum includes general medical and prescription terms. It is crucial to distinguish between venēnum, i n (poison) and antidŏtum, i n (antidote).
Established expressions that must be memorized regularly occur in prescription practice:
- Quantum satis — "as much as needed" (used when the exact amount of a substance, such as an excipient, is left to the pharmacist's discretion).
- Misce, fiat... — "Mix, let there be..." (standard formulation instructing to mix ingredients to obtain the required dosage form).
Briefly: answers to topical questions
How are the names of oxides, peroxides, and hydroxides formed in pharmaceutical Latin?
The names of oxides, peroxides, and hydroxides in pharmaceutical Latin consist of two words. The chemical element name in the genitive case comes first, acting as an uncoordinated attribute. The group name, such as oxydum, peroxydum, or hydroxydum, comes second and is declined. The segment -oxy- is used to indicate the presence of oxygen, and prefixes clarify the structure. Examples include Zinci oxydum, Hydrogenii peroxydum, and Aluminii hydroxydum.
How are the Latin names of salts of oxoacids and binary acids formed?
Salt names consist of two nouns, where the cation in the genitive case comes first, and the anion in the nominative case comes second. In salts of oxygen-containing acids, the suffix -as corresponds to the Russian -at form for the higher oxidation state, while the suffix -is corresponds to the -it form for the lower oxidation state. Latin names of anions of binary (oxygen-free) acids contain the suffix -id-um, which corresponds to the suffix -id in Russian nomenclature. Examples include Natrii nitras and Kalii bromidum.
All basic medicinal substances end in "-UM" (Tetracyclīnum, Validōlum) — this is a marker of the neuter gender (neutrUM). For acids, "AcidUM" always requires an adjective with the same ending (aceticUM).
Class and exam questions
What is the characteristic feature of the word depuratus?
The adjective depuratus (purified) in pharmaceutical practice has strict collocations and is applied primarily to solid substances, in particular, purified sulfur.
How to properly agree an adjective with the name of a medicinal substance?
Since substance names end in -um and belong to the neuter gender (neutrum), first and second declension adjectives must also be put into the neuter gender, taking the dictionary ending -um (e.g., Coffeinum purum).
What else to study on this topic
- Peculiarities of grammatical agreement between neuter second-declension nouns and first-second declension adjectives.
- Specifics of using the terms dilutus and concentratus in the context of acid solutions.
- Analysis of the prescription phrase «Misce, fiat...»: grammatical structure and verb forms.
- Use of the expression «quantum satis» when calculating excipients in a prescription.
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Other topics in the section "Chemical Nomenclature: Elements, Acids, Oxides, Hydroxides"
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