Casus generis

Abstract

The relevance of the subject of the research is determined by the fact that the problem of the genre differentiation of scientific literature in Latin is poorly explored. The research is based on the fragment of a medical text of the XVI century. The purpose of the research is the analysis of its genre originality. This fragment presents a dialogue – a genre borrowed from the philosophical literary tradition, there are no dialogues among medical essays, that is why the form of this text seems quite unusual. According to the main author’s intention, the analyzed dialogue is an informative genre, according to the role of the addressee; it is a didactic and unison dialogue. The main character expresses the author’s position; the remarks of the interlocutors perform meta-textual functions. The speech of all the characters in the text contains numerous lexical and grammatical means of dialogization. Imitation of professional dialogue occurs at all levels, starting with the plot and composition. The presentation of rejected opinions, remarks of solidarity, imitation of requests and motives bring into the text the features of informal professional communication: evaluation, phatic and imperative elements. The presence of digressions describing some medical cases from practice and stylistic devices bring this scientific text closer to works of fiction. It is concluded that the author of the fragment skillfully imitates a professional dialogue, he does not neglect his true (informative) purpose and considers the written form in which it will actually be presented to the addressee. Moreover, the reader observes a unique composition, scientific in content and artistic in the form of embodiment.