Mytho-Eponyms: Issues of Understanding and Interpretation

Abstract

This article deals with eponymous terms in the language of clinical psychology, which incorporate the name of a mythological and/or literary character, referred to as mytho-eponyms. The necessity of categorizing them as a distinct type is justified basing on the pro-found semantic relationships between the onymic and appellative components of the term, representing a relationship of a model or prototype. The model, in this context, is not static but generally constitutes an entire mythological narrative. The challenge in understanding such terms is not only linked to professional knowledge but also to the awareness of cultural texts. To assess the extent of assimilating professional knowledge represented in mytho-eponyms, a methodology for cross-professional surveying is presented. This method includes evaluating the term from the perspectives of two professional focus groups: philology students and medical students. The survey demonstrated, on the one hand, a gradual washout of cultural information from the professional sphere and the erosion of cultural meanings. On the other hand, it served as a criterion for assessing the cognitive accuracy of the term.