Basiliensia Nomina Anatomica—130th Anniversary of the First Official Anatomical Nomenclature

The anatomical terminology is a large pool of terms but since 1895 the anatomists follow its reduced and carefully selected list of terms, the anatomical nomenclature. Thanks to the Anatomische Gesellschaft, this list, termed the Basiliensia Nomina Anatomica, was issued in 1895 in Basel, Switzerland. Since then it was revised 10 times (1935-2019), with the latest version being the Terminologia Anatomica 2. The recent versions have also been expanded with English synonyms and English has become the ruling language in international communication. While eponyms play an important role in the terminology, they were excluded from the official Latin anatomical nomenclature already in 1955. This paper aims to honor the 130th anniversary of the Basiliensia Nomina Anatomica, explores its origins, and highlights its key elements that have remained unchanged until now. Generally, and despite some minor points, the Basiliensia Nomina Anatomica continues to be a cornerstone of the anatomical nomenclature. It both represents significant progress and deserves respect. It can also serve as a model for future practice. The knowledge of its origin and heritage should belong to the classical education of any anatomist or physician.