Introduction

Eponyms, derived from proper names to label concepts, phenomena, or inventions, creates challenges in translation due to their embedded cultural and historical contexts (Crystal, 2008). Scholars such as Newmark and Baker have explored the general strategies for handling culturally-bound terms (Newmark, 1988; Baker, 1992), yet translation of eponyms specifically has received less focused attention. In medical contexts, precise translation of terms like 'Parkinson’s disease' is critical, yet strategies differ across languages. Studies by Fernández and Ivanova and suggest that translators often use either calquing or descriptive equivalents, depending on audience needs (Fernández, 2016; Ivanova, 2020).

In this study we tried to find answers to the following research questions:

• What translation strategies (e.g., transliteration, calquing, descriptive equivalents) are applied to medical eponyms?
• How are medical eponyms represented in current English–Uzbek bilingual dictionaries?
• What improvements can be suggested to enhance the user-friendliness of such dictionaries?

Literature Review

The issue of translating medical eponyms in bilingual dictionaries has attracted growing interest due to its implications for medical communication, translation studies, and lexicography. Eponyms, which are terms derived from the names of people, often lack transparent meaning and can be challenging to non-native speakers (Kageura, 2002). Their representation in bilingual dictionaries is inconsistent, often due to lexicographic limitations and a lack of standardization in the target language (Hartmann & James, 1998). Several scholars have pointed out that medical terminology, especially eponyms, requires not just linguistic equivalence but also conceptual and cultural clarity (Cabré,1999; Picht & Draskau, 1985). For instance, studies have shown that when eponyms like Hodgkin’s lymphoma or Graves’ disease appear without explanation or adaptation, users may either misinterpret them or fail to understand their clinical relevance (Temmerman, 2000; Bowker & Hawkins, 2006). Tarp stresses that user-oriented bilingual dictionaries, especially in the medical field, must include definitions, usage notes, and, where possible, historical background to enhance comprehension (Tarp, 2008). Moreover, Bergenholtz and Nielsen argue that specialized dictionaries should consider function-oriented lexicography, where terms like eponyms are translated or explained based on users’ needs – e.g., healthcare workers, translators, or students (Bergenholtz and Nielsen, 2006). Comparative research by Moghadam and et al. reveals that English-Persian medical dictionaries suffer from similar issues, reinforcing the notion that this is a widespread lexicographic gap, not limited to English-Uzbek (Moghadam et al., 2013). Similarly, Rundell and Atkins advocate for data-driven dictionary design where corpus analysis can help identify how often and in what contexts eponyms occur, supporting decisions on their inclusion (Rundell and Atkins, 2008).

In the Uzbek context, few dictionaries integrate explanatory semantization for medical eponyms. Akhmedova and Rakhmonov note that many Uzbek bilingual dictionaries still prioritize general vocabulary, overlooking specialized terms (Akhmedova & Rakhmonov, 2019). This absence leads to functional deficiencies, especially in professional and educational settings where precision is crucial. All in all, the literature suggests that proper translation and semantization of eponyms in bilingual medical dictionaries is not only a linguistic task but a lexicographic responsibility, requiring alignment with users’ cognitive and professional needs.

Methodology

This study employed a qualitative content analysis approach, focusing on the identification, classification, and evaluation of medical eponyms in selected English-Uzbek bilingual dictionaries and online medical resources. The following steps were undertaken. First, we compiled a corpus of 100 commonly used medical eponyms by reviewing English-language medical glossaries such as the Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary, Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary, and Dictionary of Medical Terms (Rashid Latif Medical College). This study adopted a qualitative content analysis approach, structured as follows:

1. Corpus compilation: A list of 100 frequently used medical eponyms was compiled using English-language medical dictionaries and glossaries.
2. Dictionary analysis: Five widely used English-Uzbek bilingual dictionaries (both print and digital) were selected. Online Uzbek medical platforms were also included.
3. Entry evaluation: Each eponym was checked for presence, translation strategy (if any), and presence of explanations.
4. Case examples: Special attention was given to a sample group of eponyms (e.g., Bell’s palsy, Batchelor plaster, Beer’s knife, Behcet’s syndrome, Bellocq’s cannula, Bell’s mania, Babinski reflex, Bankart’s operation, Barlow’s disease, Bartholin’s glands, Batten’s disease, and so on.) which were notably absent or poorly represented in digital dictionaries like Wisdom Online dictionary and printed ones like Shavkat Butayev’s bilingual dictionary. This methodological design helped assess not only the current state of eponym representation in dictionaries but also revealed gaps in usability and pedagogical support for Uzbek-speaking users.

Discussion and suggestions

Why Eponyms Are Often Not Given in English-Uzbek Bilingual Dictionaries?

In English-Uzbek bilingual dictionaries, many eponyms are either missing or left untranslated, and this creates serious comprehension issues, especially for students, translators, and professionals in specialized fields. One key reason is that eponyms are deeply tied to Western cultural and historical contexts. For example, terms like Crohn’s disease or Down syndrome carry the names of individuals from English-speaking medical traditions (Newmark, 1988), and Uzbek speakers may not recognize the meaning without additional explanation. However, we suggest that in subject-specific dictionaries giving bilingual translation and a brief information about the eponym is much more effective. For example,  

Bazin’s disease /ˈbeɪzɪnz dɪˈziːz / noun Bazin kasalligi.

izoh: Teri kasalligi bo‘lib, teri osti to‘qimalarida yallig‘lanish va og‘riqli toshmalar paydo bo‘ladi. Bu holat odatda bakterial infeksiyalar yoki boshqa salbiy holatlar bilan bog‘liq. Kasallik 1861-yilda fransuz dermatologi Pierre Antoine Ernest Bazin tomonidan tavsiflangan. U parazitologiya bo‘yicha mutaxassis va teri kasalliklari bilan bog‘liq ishlarda tajribaga ega bo‘lgan.

Bell’s palsy /belz ˈpɔːlzi/ noun Bell falaji (yuz nervining falajlanishi).

izoh: Yuz nervining bir tomonlama falajlanishi bo‘lib, natijada yuz mushaklari harakati cheklanadi. Bemor bir ko‘zini yopa olmaydi va yuzning ta’sirlangan tomoni osilib qolishi mumkin. Sir Charles Bell (1774–1842), shotlandiyalik jarroh tomonidan tavsiflangan.

Batchelor plaster /ˈbætʃələr ˈplɑːstər/ noun Batchelor gipsi.

izoh: Ikkala oyoqni bir-biridan ajratilgan holda ushlab turadigan gips. (1905-yilda tug‘ilgan britaniyalik ortopediya jarrohi J.S. Batchelor sharafiga nomlangan).

Beer’s knife /bɪəz naɪf/ noun Beer pichog‘i.

izoh: Uchburchak pichoq shakliga ega bo‘lib, ko‘z operatsiyalarida ishlatiladi. Ushbu atama nemis oftalmologi George Joseph Beer (1763–1821) nomi bilan bog‘liq.

Behçet’s syndrome /ˈbeɪsets ˈsɪndrəʊm/ noun Behchet sindromi.

izoh: Bu nomalum sabablarga ega bo‘lgan surunkali immun tizimi kasalligi bo‘lib, kichik qon tomirlarining yallig‘lanishiga olib keladi. Asosan quyidagi alomatlar bilan kechadi: og‘iz yaralari, ba’zan jinsiy a’zolardagi yaralar, teri toshmalari, ko‘z yallig‘lanishi. Ushbu kasallik 1937-yilda turk dermatologi Hulusi Behçet (1889–1948) tomonidan tasvirlangan.

Bellocq’s cannula /bəˈlɒks ˈkænjʊlə/ noun Belok kanulasi.

izoh: Burun qonashini nazorat qilish uchun ishlatiladigan tibbiy asbob. Jean Jacques Bellocq (1732–1807), fransuz jarrohi tomonidan tavsiflangan.

Bell’s mania /belz ˈmeɪniə/ noun Bel maniyasi.

izoh: Deliriya (ongning chalkashishi) bilan kechadigan keskin maniya shakli. Luther Vose Bell (1806–1862), amerikalik fiziolog tomonidan tavsiflangan.

Babinski reflex /bəˈbɪnski rɪˈfleks/ noun Babinski refleksi.

izoh: Oyoq tagiga yengil tegilganda katta barmoq yuqoriga ko‘tarilib, qolgan barmoqlar pastga egiladi va yoyiladi.

Bankart’s operation /ˈbæŋkɑːts ɒpəˈreɪʃən/ noun Bankart operatsiyasi. Qayta-qayta yuz beradigan yelka chiqishini tiklash uchun bajariladigan operatsiya.

Barlow’s disease /ˈbɑːləʊz dɪˈziːz/ noun Barlov kasalligi. Bolalarda uchraydigan, vitamin C yetishmasligi tufayli rivojlanadigan skorbut kasalligi. U suyaklarning mo‘rtlashishi, qonash, tishlarning to‘kilishi va immunitet pasayishi kabi belgilar bilan namoyon bo‘ladi.

Bartholin’s glands /ˈbɑːtəlɪnz ˌɡlænd/ plural noun Bartolin bezi. Pastki vagina (qin)ning ikki tomonida joylashgan va qalin suyuqlik ishlab chiqaruvchi ikki bezdan biri, ayniqsa, jinsiy qo'zg'alish paytida. Katta vestibulyar bezlar deb ham ataladi.

Batten’s disease  /ˈbæt(ə)nz dɪˈziːz/ noun  Batten kasalligi. Irsiy kasallik bo‘lib, u miya fermentlariga ta’sir qiladi hamda miyadagi va ko‘zdagi hujayralarning o‘lishiga olib keladi.

Another reason is that many English-Uzbek dictionaries are designed for general use, and as a result, they rarely include domain-specific. In some cases, dictionary compilers assume that eponyms do not require translation because they are proper names. However, without a descriptive semantization – for example, translating Parkinson’s disease as Parkinson kasalligi with a short explanation – the average Uzbek user may not understand the reference. Furthermore, there is a lack of standardized equivalents for many eponyms in Uzbek, which discourages lexicographers from including them. For instance, Alzheimer’s disease is commonly used in its English form in Uzbek medical circles, but no formal consensus exists on whether to translate or adapt the name fully. Ivanova notes that such inconsistencies reduce the reliability of bilingual dictionaries as educational or professional tools (Ivanova, 2020).

Conclusion

This study intended to explore how medical eponyms are treated in English-Uzbek bilingual dictionaries, and whether their current representation meets the needs of Uzbek-speaking medical users. The findings clearly show that most dictionaries either omit eponyms or present them without sufficient explanation. This not only limits understanding but also reduces the reliability of these resources in academic and clinical settings. Providing bilingual entries with explanatory notes – such as origin, historical background, and medical relevance – is essential. As user-oriented tools, dictionaries should evolve to include such semantic aids, especially in specialized domains like medicine.

Future research should consider user testing – for example, how well Uzbek medical students or translators understand eponyms with vs. without explanation – to further validate the lexicographic strategies proposed in this paper.