BETWEEN VERNACULAR PRACTICE AND STANDARDIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE: MARINE ANIMAL TERMINOLOGY IN A NINETEENTH-CENTURY QUADRILINGUAL ARMENO-TURKISH DICTIONAR

Abstract

This article examines marine animal terminology in a nineteenth-century quadrilingual Armeno-Turkish medical dictionary (MS 10782, Matenadaran), with a focus on the processes through which scientific and vernacular knowledge were transmitted and adapted in a multilingual Ottoman context. Drawing on a series of lexicographic case studies, the study demonstrates that the terminology of marine species reflects a transitional stage between vernacular naming practices and emerging terminological standardization. The analysis shows that transcription functioned as a central mediating strategy, enabling the phonetic adaptation of Latin learned terms into Armenian-script Turkish (e.g., Mugil / Mujil, Cyprinus / Ch’ibrinus). However, transcription operated alongside other mechanisms, including semantic translation, metaphorical naming, functional classification through “umbrella terms,” and intralingual explanation. These strategies often resulted in taxonomic instability, cross-species equivalence, and the coexistence of multiple naming systems derived from Greek, Latin, Italian, and Turkic sources. The findings highlight the absence of strict one-to-one equivalence in nineteenth-century zoological terminology and demonstrate how knowledge was actively mediated through a combination of linguistic and conceptual strategies. A diachronic perspective further reveals that while some terms persisted into modern Turkish, others underwent semantic shift or disappeared, reflecting the gradual standardization of scientific vocabulary. By situating these processes within the broader framework of multilingual lexicographic practice, the article argues that Armeno-Turkish functioned as a crucial medium for the transmission, localization, and transformation of scientific knowledge in the Ottoman Empire.