中文化学名词醇醛酮醚酯之由来

The History of the Chinese Chemical Terms醇(Alcohol),醛(Aldehyde),酮(Ketone),醚(Ether)and酯(Ester)

1932年民国教育部颁布的《化学命名原则》为中文化学名词确立了统一的标准,并对于"元素及化合物定名取字"提出"取字应以谐声为主,会意次之,不重象形"的定名总则。它确立的中文化学名词醇、醛、酮、醚、酯是意译名,这似乎与其音译为主的命名原则相悖。本文讨论了醇、醛、酮、醚、酯的各种历史译名,并分析了它们被《原则》采纳的原因。

The Nomenclature of Chemistry approved in 1932 by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China established unified standard for Chinese chemical terms.For the choice of characters in naming chemical elements and compounds,the Nomenclature proposed the general principle that"phonograms are preferred,associative characters second,and pictographic characters are not valued".The chemical terms醇(alcohol),醛(aldehyde),酮(ketone),醚(ether)and酯(ester)are ideographic,which seems to run counter to the principle.This paper discusses various historical translated terms for alcohol,aldehyde,ketone,ether and ester,and explains why they were accepted by the Nomenclature.