# Archaic names for branches of science



## Topper88 (Jul 2, 2014)

I've searched the web for terms for the branches of science from a time where the sciences weren't considered different from magic. No luck though. Either I'm not looking in the right places or such terms never existed, at least not in the quaint-sounding form I'd like.

For example, a mathematician could be called a "Numeromancer", one who divines answers from numbers. A biologist could be an "Animaturge", etc etc etc

If anyone knows of a source of such info or can give me pointers to simply make up my own terms it would be greatly appreciated.


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## Pidgeon84 (Jul 2, 2014)

I'm pretty sure the term you're looking for is "Heretic" lol.


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## Morkonan (Jul 7, 2014)

Topster said:


> I've searched the web for terms for the branches of science from a time where the sciences weren't considered different from magic. No luck though. Either I'm not looking in the right places or such terms never existed, at least not in the quaint-sounding form I'd like....



Interesting idea for the foundations of a naming system. However, there is no period in history in which the branches of "science" were not considered different from "magic." Think about that, for a moment... You're using two different rulesets and looking for commonalities. There can't be any. "Alchemy" may have provided a great deal of information and formative habits to what later became "Chemistry" or "Pharmacy." But, "Alchemy" wasn't often very "Scientific."

For ancient schools of thought on the pursuit of knowledge, why not follow their curriculums?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trivium_(education)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrivium

For the Medievals:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_university

Lastly, when making up latin sounding words for your different schools, just add "turge", "ator", "ian" or some similar Latin sounding prefex to whatever Latin-based term you can come up with to describe the field of study/expertise.


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## Greimour (Jul 7, 2014)

Didn't check Markonan's links but what he said I can agree with.

Personally I just use foreign or dated languages to make stuff up. For example, if I wanted to have agriculture as a field science I might call it 

"Physiagretis" and a practitioner of this science could be a "Physiagretician"

Agretis being latin; of the field, wild. [includes creatures such as voles and mice but can also be plants]
Physi- also being latin; nature [among meaning can be "naturally joined" or "a plant"] 


I prefer making stuff up most of the time, but I don't mind using outdated/forgotten words and titles either - depending on my mood.

Sorry I couldn't give you a sound source at this time to meet your question directly. I think it is probably likely Markonan has already managed to do so though, he is pretty reliable like that.


~Kev.


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## Nickleby (Jul 7, 2014)

I'd suggest looking into methods of divination. What we call _science_ began as attempts at predicting the future. Astrology, for instance, tried to define basic qualities of people, and predict the courses of their lives, based on the place and time of their birth. It also helped create calendars for the proper time to avoid floods and plant crops. Later it developed into the field of astronomy, which has allowed us to determine when and where eclipses will occur (among other things)--so we've come full circle, and astrologists really can predict the future.

Yes, "astrologist" for "astronomer" is a gimme. Check out other types of divination, though, and you should get some inspiration.


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## ppsage (Jul 7, 2014)

What Morko said. Before science was science, it was natural philosophy.


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