0 INTRODUCTION

6. FINDINGS
Differences were also found in the use of nominalizations in the different subgenres
of scientific writing. In the particular case of medical writing, it is clear that the use and
origin of nominalizations varies according to variables such as audience and writing
tradition. The use of nominalizations, especially those of Romance origin, is more
common in surgical and academic treatises than in remedy books. This is due to two main
reasons. On the one hand, remedy books have a vernacular origin whereas surgical and
academic treatises are based on Latin patterns. Furthermore, the audience of the former
was popular and probably could not cope with the use of Romance hard words. By
contrast, the learned audiences for which surgical and academic treatises were intended
were able to understand these terms more easily.
It must be noted, however, that in the course of time the use of Romance
nominalizations increases even in the more popular category of remedy books. This is
probably so due to stylistic reasons: medical writers perceive Romance nominals as a
characteristic feature of scientific writing, and therefore use them in their works as a mark
of genre.
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