Lexical units in healthcare

exploring different historical corpora

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22456/2238-8915.149494

Abstract

When analysing texts of different types produced in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries in Brazil and Portugal, the presence of lexical units referring to health is not uncommon. As a constant threat to human survival, diseases are frequently mentioned, as are ways to prevent and cure them. Therefore, it is intriguing to examine how illnesses, treatments, and prevention were understood and referred to in texts of different types, produced by diverse actors, with different levels of literacy and knowledge, and for various purposes during this historical period. Hence, this article aims to present an initial study undertaken by a group of researchers seeking to examine this diversity. Firstly, we sought to establish a corpus that could support this type of research, set up by several different text types. Thus, this article will present the results obtained from the survey of these texts, their main features, and the challenges of studying them. We will also highlight their relevance for diachronic research in Terminology, in conjunction with Philology and Historical Linguistics, and their contributions to various socio-professional groups and researchers from various areas.

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Author Biographies

Bruno Maroneze, Federal University of Grande Dourados

PhD in Philology and Portuguese Language from the University of São Paulo (2011), with postdoctoral studies at the University of Coimbra (2022). He is a professor at the Federal University of Grande Dourados (since 2011) and a research productivity fellow at FUNDECT/CNPq (since 2025).

Marcus Dores, Universidade Federal da Bahia

PhD in Philology and Portuguese Language from the University of São Paulo and Master in Linguistic Studies from the Federal University of Minas Gerais. He is a researcher at the Interdisciplinary Center for History, Cultures, and Societies of the University of Évora and a member of the UNESCO Chair in Intangible Heritage and Traditional Know-How: Linking Heritage. He has also been the editor-in-chief of LaborHistórico (UFRJ) since 2019.

Mariângela de Araújo, University of São Paulo

PhD in Philology and Portuguese Language from the University of São Paulo. Completed postdoctoral studies at Universidade Nova de Lisboa in 2011. Professor in the Department of Classical and Vernacular Languages at the University of São Paulo. Professor in the Graduate Program in Philology and Portuguese Language and local coordinator of the Professional Master's Degree in Languages in the National Network (ProfLetras). Former director of the Interdepartmental Center for Translation and Terminology Studies (2017-2021). She was a member of the Editorial Board of Revista Debate Terminológico (2012-2017). She is a member of the Editorial Board of Revista TradTerm. She is a full member of the Ibero-American Terminology Network (RITerm) and a member and co-founder of the Lexicography Association of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico (AmericaLex-S). She is the coordinator of the research projects Interfaces between Lexicon, Teaching, and Culture (InterLEC) and Developing definitions and conceptual maps for a Natural Sciences terminology dictionary. Areas of expertise: Teaching, Terminology, Lexicology, and Lexicography in the Portuguese language.

Verena Kewitz, University of São Paulo

Graduated in Literature from the University of São Paulo (1997), master's degree (2002) and doctorate (2007) in Philology and Portuguese Language from the same university, postdoctorate in Linguistics from UNICAMP (2008-2010) and associate professor at the University of São Paulo (2020). She regularly works on the following topics: Multisystemic Approach to Language, History of Brazilian and São Paulo Portuguese, Spoken Language Studies, Cognitive Semantics, Discursive Traditions, Syntax Studies, Representation of Space in the Portuguese Language, Survey and editing of corpora for linguistic studies, especially in the collective projects History of São Paulo Portuguese (PHPP) and Towards the History of Brazilian Portuguese (PHPB) since 1997. She is a professor of undergraduate and graduate studies in Philology and Portuguese Language at USP and coordinator of the Ethics Committee for Research with Human Subjects at FFLCH-USP.

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Published

2025-12-31

How to Cite

MARONEZE, Bruno; DORES, Marcus; DE ARAÚJO, Mariângela; KEWITZ, Verena. Lexical units in healthcare: exploring different historical corpora. Organon, Porto Alegre, v. 40, n. 81, 2025. DOI: 10.22456/2238-8915.149494. Disponível em: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/organon/article/view/149494. Acesso em: 8 aug. 2026.

Issue

Vol. 40 No. 81 (2025): NARRATIVAS EM SAÚDE: HISTÓRIA(S) PELO LÉXICO, TEXTOS E DISCURSOS

Section

Artigos

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