Spanish in science: Terminology and Presence of the Language in Research

For decades, science and technology have been dominated by English, but Spanish is not far behind. Although many papers and conferences are written in English, our language plays a key role in various areas of knowledge, from botany to artificial intelligence. Yes, there is also room for Spanish in the world of algorithms and neural networks.

Spanish in botany: A green legacy

If there is a field where Spanish has taken root, it is in botany. It is no coincidence that many plants have names in Spanish or Latin with a Hispanic influence. From quina (cinchona), whose active ingredient (quinine) was used as a treatment for malaria, to the ceibo (Erythrina crista-galli), the emblematic tree of Argentina and Uruguay, the jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) or the quebracho (Schinopsis), Spanish terms have nourished the science of the classification and description of flora.

Spanish-speaking botanists have significantly contributed to the classification of species in Latin America. Terms such as “epífita” “epiphyte” (a plant that grows on another without parasitising it) or “xerófila” “xerophilous” (adapted to dry climates) are used in Spanish in scientific literature. Even many species of orchids and cacti are named after Spanish-speaking explorers and naturalists.

Artificial Intelligence in Spanish: Neural Networks and Beyond

Spanish is also present in the world of technology. Concepts such as “deep learning”, “natural language processing” (NLP) and “convolutional neural networks” (CNN) have their equivalents in Spanish and are increasingly used in research. Artificial intelligence models trained specifically for Spanish, such as BETO (a Spanish version of BERT, the Google model), have emerged in recent years.

In voice recognition, optical character recognition (OCR) and speech-to-text technologies have progressed in interpreting Spanish, allowing virtual assistants like Siri and Google Assistant to understand regional accents and idioms better. We cannot forget vector databases and RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) architectures, which are helping language models generate more accurate responses in our language.

Medicine and biochemistry: Terms that cross borders

Medicine is also strongly influenced by Spanish. Many terms in pharmacology and biochemistry come from our language or have been adapted to English. An example is “dopamine,” derived from “dopa,” a substance discovered in the 1950s whose name comes from the amino acid L-Dopa. Another example is “placebo,” a word of Latin origin used equally in Spanish and English.

In Latin America, research into tropical diseases such as dengue or Chagas has produced its terminology, reinforcing Spanish’s role in global scientific communication.

Science in Spanish: More than an option, a necessity

Although English continues to dominate scientific publication, Spanish is present in generating knowledge in multiple disciplines. Its use is not only a question of identity, but also of access. Publishing in Spanish allows more Spanish-speaking researchers to access information without language barriers.

For this reason, promoting scientific dissemination in Spanish through blogs, podcasts, and videos on platforms such as YouTube helps make science accessible in our language.

Also promoting the teaching of scientific terminology in Spanish: in many Spanish-speaking countries, science students learn concepts in English, which sometimes makes scientific communication in their native language difficult.

Our language continues to leave its mark in botany, artificial intelligence, and medicine. So, the next time you use a chatbot in Spanish or read about a new species of orchid, remember that science in our language is still alive and evolving.

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