The importance of the suffix “-logy” in scientific language| Tabaccologia

Abstract

In the context of scientific terminology, word formation mechanisms are fundamental tools for structuring and conveying knowledge. The word logos has a profound and varied meaning in the history of science and philosophy, and the suffix “-logy” represents one of the most productive morphological elements in naming academic disciplines and sciences, as exemplified by terms such as biology, psychology, and sociology. According to Umberto Eco, scientific nomenclature is never neutral: it reflects the way knowledge is organized and epistemic authority is constructed [1]. It should be noted that, in linguistics, a suffix is an element placed at the end of a stem or root to form a word. It can also be added to an already complete word, forming, by derivation, a suffixed word (suffixation). (...)