TRACING THE LINGUISTIC JOURNEY OF GEOLOGICAL TERMS - A PHILOLOGICAL STUDY OF STRATIGRAPHY AND MINERALOGY

Abstract

The paper discusses the etymological history of "stratigraphy" and "mineralogy," two critical geological terms, from their ancient roots in Latin and Greek to modern times. In fact, such scientific terms represent not only the steps of scientific advancement but also the general trend of cultural interaction and close interrelation between linguistic, scientific, and technical developments. It thereby indicates how scientific progress and cross-cultural interactions have influenced the way one describes Earth's processes when these terms are put through philological development from medieval to Renaissance and modern times. Indeed, this is a technologically advanced science that has introduced terminologies such as radiometric dating and X-ray diffraction into geology, while recent times have seen many countries collaborating together on geological grounds with consequent efforts toward standardization in the use of geological terminology. The result is an instructive analysis of how language and science grow together, predictably changing as needed to accommodate an increasing knowledge base.