The Features of Substandard Lexicon Used by Medical Workers in Japan (Using Medical Slang of Emergency Departments as an Example)
The article explores the features of medical slang used in Japanese hospitals, using medical slang of emergency departments as an example. The main source of the information in this article is an interview that was conducted with the participation of emergency department nurses from Kansai region in Japan. With the help of the interview survey 98 slang expressions were collected and analyzed. The author introduces the examples of medical slang in the Japanese language and points out its origin in medical terminology touching upon the existence of many kinds of loanwords borrowed from the German language. The methods of medical slang formation are mentioned as well. According to the analysis results, medical slang in the Japanese language can mainly be formed with the help of shortening, deformation of loanwords from foreign languages and using metaphors. Also, the author pays attention to the spheres of medical slang usage in Japanese hospitals. In fact, it was revealed that medical slang used in Japanese hospitals is related to disease names and its symptoms, medical treatment, medicine and chemical substances, body parts, death and after death care, patients, equipment, departments and other responsibilities of medical workers.