02 Dec ABC of the medical classical etymology

The Ancient Roman and Greek cultures are much more present nowadays than you may think. In the medical and healthcare sector, the linguistic and etymologic fields have taken many words from said languages. Here is a small list including a few suffixes and prefixes – with its corresponding meaning and some examples – that have conformed the English language. They all will make you better understand many words coming from Latin or Greek.

A

anesthesi-: sensation. E.g. anaesthesia

B

bronch(i)-: of or pertaining to the bronchus. E.g. bronchitis

C

-crine, crin(o): to secrete. E.g. endocrine

D

dys-: bad, defective, abnormal. E.g. dysentery

E

epi-: on or upon. E.g. epidural

F

facio-: of or pertaining to the face. E.g. facioplegic

G

glauc(o)-: denoting a grey or bluish colour. E.g. glaucoma

H

hist(o)-, histio-: of or pertaining to the tissue. E.g. histology

I

-itis: inflammation. E.g. otitis

J

juxta-: alongside, next to. E.g. juxtaglomerular

K

(-)kal-: potassium. E.g. hypokalaemia

L

-lepsis, -lepsy: attack. E.g. narcolepsy

M

melan(o)-: related to the black colour. E.g. melanin

N

normo-: normal. E.g. normocapnia

O

-opsy: examination. E.g. autopsy

P

(-)pne-, (-)pneum-: lung, air, breath: E.g. apnoea

Q

quadr(i)-: four. E.g. quadriceps

R

-rrhoea: discharge. E.g. diarrhoea

S

stomat(o)-: of or pertaining to the mouth. E.g. stomatologist

T

(-)therap-: treatment. E.g. hydrotherapic

U

urin-: of or pertaining to the urinary system. E.g. urinalysis

V

varic(o)-: swollen or twisted vein. E.g. varicose

X

xanth(o)-: abnormal yellow colour. E.g. xanthophyll

Y

-y: condition or process of. E.g. surgery

Z

(-)zym(o)-: fermentation. E.g. enzyme