How the Unit 10 Word List Was Built
| Etymology | Prefix1 | Prefix2 | "Pre-Root" | "Pre-Root" | Root Root | "Post-Root" | Suffix1 Word End |
Suffix2 Word End |
Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| abdomin/o | centesis | abdominocentesis | |||||||
| abdomin/o | plasty | abdominoplasty | |||||||
| Cancer of the glands in the breast, stomach, prostate, lung, pancreas, colon, & rectum | aden/o | carcin | oma | adenocarcinoma | |||||
| aero | dont | algia | aerodontalgia | ||||||
| aliment | ary | alimentary | |||||||
| amyl | ase | amylase | |||||||
| an[us] | al | anal | |||||||
| an | hydr[o] | ase | anhydrase | ||||||
| ano | phony | anophony | |||||||
| ano | plasty | anoplasty | |||||||
| ano | sigmoid/o | scopy | anosigmoidoscopy | ||||||
| ant | acid | antacid | |||||||
| anti | eme[sis]/t | ic | antiemetic | ||||||
| anus | anus | ||||||||
| a | phag | ia | aphagia | ||||||
| a[d] | scend[ere] | ing | ascending | ||||||
| From Greek askos referring to a bag made from goat skin used to hold wine | ascites | ||||||||
| bar | iatr | ics | bariatrics | ||||||
| bile | bile | ||||||||
| bil/i | genesis | biligenesis | |||||||
| bil/i | rub[er] | in | bilirubin | ||||||
| bil/i | verd | in | biliverdin | ||||||
| Latin bucca, "cheek" | bucc[a] | al | buccal | ||||||
| canal | icul | us | canaliculus | ||||||
| German peptid, from German Pepton & Greek pepton, "digested" | carboxy[l] | peptid | ase | carboxypeptidase | |||||
| cardia | cardia | ||||||||
| Greek katharsis, "purging, cleaning" | cathar/t | ic | cathartic | ||||||
| caud[a] | ate | caudate | |||||||
| Latin cœliacus, Greek koiliakos, "bowels" | celi | ac | celiac | ||||||
| celio | my/o/s | itis | celiomyositis | ||||||
| celio | pathy | celiopathy | |||||||
| celio | tomy | celiotomy | |||||||
| cement | um | cementum | |||||||
| chol | ang/i/o | gastr/o | stomy | cholangiogastrostomy | |||||
| chol | ang/i/o | gram | cholangiogram | ||||||
| chol | ang/i/o | graphy | cholangiography | ||||||
| chol | ang/i/o | oma | cholangioma | ||||||
| a procedure for visualizing the anatomy of the bile ducts and pancreatic ducts | chol | ang/i/o | pancreat/o | graphy | cholangiopancreatography | ||||
| chol | ang | itis | cholangitis | ||||||
| chol | cyst | algia | cholecystalgia | ||||||
| chol/e | cyst | ectomy | cholecystectomy | ||||||
| chol/e | cyst | itis | cholecystitis | ||||||
| chol/e | cyst/o | cysto | gram | cholecystogram | |||||
| chol/e | cyst/o | kin | in | cholecystokinin | |||||
| chol/e | doch/o | cele | choledochocele | ||||||
| chol/e | doch/o | enter/o | stomy | choledochoenterostomy | |||||
| chol/e | doch/o | lith | ectomy | choledocholithectomy | |||||
| common bile duct Greek choledocho "bile duct" | chol/e | doch/o | lith | iasis | choledocholithiasis | ||||
| chol/e | doch/o | tomy | choledochotomy | ||||||
| chol/e | lith | cholelith | |||||||
| chol/e | lith | iasis | cholelithiasis | ||||||
| chol/e | lith/o | tomy | cholelithotomy | ||||||
| chol/e | lith/o | tripsy | cholelithotripsy | ||||||
| chyme | chyme | ||||||||
| chym/o | trypsin | chymotrypsin | |||||||
| Greek kirros, "red-yellow, yellow-brown". The "h" is a mistake. | cirrh | osis | cirrhosis | ||||||
| col | ectomy | colectomy | |||||||
| col | itis | colitis | |||||||
| colon | colon | ||||||||
| colon | ectomy | colonectomy | |||||||
| colon/o | scopy | colonoscopy | |||||||
| col/o | rect | al | colorectal | ||||||
| col/o | stomy | colostomy | |||||||
| col/o | vagin | al | colovaginal | ||||||
| Latin com + iugare, "to yoke together" | con | jug[are] | ated | conjugated | |||||
| Latin "to crowd [feces] together" | con | stipa[re] | tion | constipation | |||||
| cyst[o] | ic | cystic | |||||||
| Latin deciduus, "that which falls down", referring to leaves, petals, teeth, etc. | decidu | ous | deciduous | ||||||
| de | fec[es] | ation | defecation | ||||||
| Latin deglutitionem, "to swallow down" | de | gluti[re] | tion | deglutition | |||||
| dent | algia | dentalgia | |||||||
| Latin dens, "tooth" + fricare, "rub" | denti | frice | dentifrice | ||||||
| dent | in | dentin | |||||||
| dent | ist | dentist | |||||||
| dent | istry | dentistry | |||||||
| de | scend[ere] | ing | descending | ||||||
| dia | rrhea | diarrhea | |||||||
| Latin digerere (dis + gerere), "separate, divide, arrange" | digest | ive | digestive | ||||||
| Latin deverticulum, "a bypath" | diverticul | itis | diverticulitis | ||||||
| diverticul | osis | diverticulosis | |||||||
| duoden | ectomy | duodenectomy | |||||||
| duoden | itis | duodenitis | |||||||
| Shortening of Latin duodenum digitorum, "space of twelve digits", after Greek physician (c. 300 BC) Herophilus who called it dodkadaktylon | duoden | um | duodenum | ||||||
| dys | enter | y | dysentery | ||||||
| dys | peps | ia | dyspepsia | ||||||
| elast | [in] | ase | elastase | ||||||
| Greek emesis, "vomiting" | emesis | emesis | |||||||
| French en– + amailler, shortened to émail (as in "covering in chain mail"); "mail" ultimately comes from Latin macula because chain mail armor looked spotted | en | amel | enamel | ||||||
| enter | ectomy | enterectomy | |||||||
| enter | ic | enteric | |||||||
| enter/o | cele | enterocele | |||||||
| enter/o | cyte | enterocytes | |||||||
| enter/o | dynia | enterodynia | |||||||
| enter/o | endo | crine | enteroendocrine | ||||||
| enter/o | pathy | enteropathy | |||||||
| enter/o | rrhaphy | enterorrhaphy | |||||||
| enter/o | tomy | enterotomy | |||||||
| epi | gastr | ic | epigastric | ||||||
| esophag | algia | esophagalgia | |||||||
| esophag | eal | esophageal | |||||||
| esophag | ectomy | esophagectomy | |||||||
| esophag | itis | esophagitis | |||||||
| esophag/o | gastr/o | duoden/o | scopy | esophagogastroduodenoscopy | |||||
| esophag/o | gastr/o | plasty | esophagogastroplasty | ||||||
| esophag/o | scopy | esophagoscopy | |||||||
| eu | glyc | emia | euglycemia | ||||||
| eu | peps | ia | eupepsia | ||||||
| Latin falx, "sickle" | falc | iform | falciform | ||||||
| fec[es] | al | fecal | |||||||
| Latin fæces, "sediment, dregs" which entered English in 17th century. The word for "feces" in Latin was "caca". | feces | feces | |||||||
| fil[um] | iform | filiform | |||||||
| Latin fistula, "pipe, flute" | fist | ula | fistula | ||||||
| Latin flatus, "a blowing" (from the bowels) | flatus | flatus | |||||||
| foli[um] | ate | foliate | |||||||
| fundus | fundus | ||||||||
| fungi | form | fungiform | |||||||
| gall | bladder | gallbladder | |||||||
| gastr | algia | gastralgia | |||||||
| gastr | ectomy | gastrectomy | |||||||
| gastr | ic | gastric | |||||||
| gastr | itis | gastritis | |||||||
| gastr/o | duoden/o | scope | gastroduodenoscope | ||||||
| gastr/o | duoden/o | stomy | gastroduodenostomy | ||||||
| gastr/o | dynia | gastrodynia | |||||||
| gastr/o | enter | itis | gastroenteritis | ||||||
| gastr/o | enter/o | col | itis | gastroenterocolitis | |||||
| gastr/o | enter/o | logist | gastroenterologist | ||||||
| gastr/o | enter/o | logy | gastroenterology | ||||||
| gastr/o | enter/o | stomy | gastroenterostomy | ||||||
| gastr/o | esophag | eal | gastroesophageal | ||||||
| gastr/o | intestin[e] | al | gastrointestinal | ||||||
| gastr/o | jejun/o | stomy | gastrojejunostomy | ||||||
| gastr/o | malacia | gastromalacia | |||||||
| gastr/o | paresis | gastroparesis | |||||||
| gastr/o | pexy | gastropexy | |||||||
| gastr/o | plasty | gastroplasty | |||||||
| gastr/o | scope | gastroscope | |||||||
| PIE ghrel, "to grow", but doing double-duty as an acronym for growth hormone-releasing polypeptide | ghrel | in | ghrelin | ||||||
| gingiv | algia | gingivalgia | |||||||
| gingiv | ectomy | gingivectomy | |||||||
| gingiv | itis | gingivitis | |||||||
| gingiv/o | gloss | itis | gingivoglossitis | ||||||
| gingiv/o | plasty | gingivoplasty | |||||||
| gingiv/o | stomat | itis | gingivostomatitis | ||||||
| gloss/o | pathy | glossopathy | |||||||
| gloss/o | plasty | glossoplasty | |||||||
| gloss/o | plegia | glossoplegia | |||||||
| gloss/o | rrhaphy | glossorrhaphy | |||||||
| gloss/o | tomy | glossotomy | |||||||
| gloss/o | trich | ia | glossotrichia | ||||||
| gluc | agon | glucagon | |||||||
| gluc | uronic | glucuronic acid | |||||||
| Latin haustrum, "scoop for drawing water" | haustrum | haustrum | |||||||
| gingiv/o | stomat | itis | hematemesis | ||||||
| heme | heme | ||||||||
| hemi | col | ectomy | hemicolectomy | ||||||
| Greek haimorrhoides, "[veins] likely to discharge blood" | hemorrhoid | hemorrhoid | |||||||
| hemorrhoid | ectomy | hemorrhoidectomy | |||||||
| hepat | ectomy | hepatectomy | |||||||
| hepat | ic | hepatic | |||||||
| hepatic/o | gastr/o | stomy | hepaticogastrostomy | ||||||
| hepatic/o | tomy | hepaticotomy | |||||||
| hepat | itis | hepatitis | |||||||
| hepat/o | carcin | oma | hepatocarcinoma | ||||||
| hepat/o | cyte | hepatocytes | |||||||
| hepat | oma | hepatoma | |||||||
| hepat/o | malacia | hepatomalacia | |||||||
| hepat/o | megaly | hepatomegaly | |||||||
| hepat/o | hepat/o | pancr/e/at | ic | hepatopancreatic | |||||
| hepat/o | pexy | hepatopexy | |||||||
| hepat/o | ptosis | hepatoptosis | |||||||
| hepat/o | sclerosis | hepatosclerosis | |||||||
| hepat/o | splen | itis | hepatosplenitis | ||||||
| hepat/o | splen/o | megaly | hepatosplenomegaly | ||||||
| Latin hernia, "rupture" | hernia | hernia | |||||||
| herni/o | rrhaphy | herniorrhaphy | |||||||
| hyper | emesis | hyperemesis | |||||||
| hypo | chondr | iac | hypochondriac | ||||||
| hypo | gastr | ic | hypogastric | ||||||
| hypo | gloss | al | hypoglossal | ||||||
| Greek ikteros, "jaundice", but also the name of a yellow bird that was supposed to cure jaundice by picking up the yellow color and then dying | icterus | icterus | |||||||
| ile | itis | ileitis | |||||||
| Latin intestinum cæcum, "blind gut" | ileo | cec[um] | al | ileocecal | |||||
| ileo | col | itis | ileocolitis | ||||||
| ileo | colo | stomy | ileocolostomy | ||||||
| ileo | rrhaphy | ileorrhaphy | |||||||
| ileo | stomy | ileostomy | |||||||
| ileo | tomy | ileotomy | |||||||
| ili[a] | um | ileum | |||||||
| in | gest[us] | ion | ingestion | ||||||
| inguin | al | inguinal | |||||||
| Latin insula, "island" (i.e. islets of Langerhans) | insul[a] | in | insulin | ||||||
| insul[a] | in/o | tropic | insulinotropic | ||||||
| intestin[e] | al | intestinal | |||||||
| islet | islet | ||||||||
| French jaunice, "yellowness", with "d" added for no particular reason | jaundice | jaundice | |||||||
| jejun | itis | jejunitis | |||||||
| jejun/o | ile | itis | jejunoileitis | ||||||
| jejun/o | rrhaphy | jejunorrhaphy | |||||||
| jejun/o | stomy | jejunostomy | |||||||
| jejun/o | tomy | jejunotomy | |||||||
| jejunum | jejunum | ||||||||
| labi[a] | al | labial | |||||||
| lact | eal | lacteal | |||||||
| lamina | propria | lamina propria | |||||||
| laparo | cele | laparocele | |||||||
| laparo | enter/o | stomy | laparoenterostomy | ||||||
| laparo | scope | laparoscope | |||||||
| laparo | scopy | laparoscopy | |||||||
| laparo | tomy | laparotomy | |||||||
| lingual | lingual | ||||||||
| lip | ase | lipase | |||||||
| liver | liver | ||||||||
| lob[e] | ule | lobule | |||||||
| lumb | ar | lumbar | |||||||
| Latin lumen, "light" (i.e., a passageway; the part of a tube-like structure you can see light through) | lumen | lumen | |||||||
| lyso | zyme | lysozyme | |||||||
| macro | cyte | macrocyte | |||||||
| Latin absorptionem, "a swallowing" | mal | absorption | malabsorption | ||||||
| Mes–, "middle" + –enter[on], "intestine" | mes | enter | ic | mesenteric | |||||
| mes[os] | ial | mesial | |||||||
| mucosa | mucosa | ||||||||
| muscular | is | muscularis | |||||||
| my | enter | ic | myenteric | ||||||
| nas/o | gastr | ic | nasogastric | ||||||
| occlus[us] | al | occlusal | |||||||
| Both the Latin dont and Greek odont are based on PIE əd-ent "uhd-ent" sound (which means "biting"), and there is no real logic which is which in Medical English | odont | algia | odontalgia | ||||||
| odont | ectomy | odontectomy | |||||||
| odont/o | clasis | odontoclasis | |||||||
| odont/o | dynia | odontodynia | |||||||
| or | al | al | oral | ||||||
| ortho | dont | ic | orthodontic | ||||||
| ortho | dont | ist | orthodontist | ||||||
| oxy | gen | oxygenase | |||||||
| pancreato | duoden | ectomy | pancreatoduodenectomy | ||||||
| pancreato | lith | pancreatolith | |||||||
| pancreato | lith | ectomy | pancreatolithectomy | ||||||
| pancreato | lith | iasis | pancreatolithiasis | ||||||
| pariet | al | parietal | |||||||
| par[a] | oti[s] | d | parotid | ||||||
| pancreato | graphy | pancreatography | |||||||
| Greek peptikos, "able to digest". Pepsin and trypsin were the first two enzymes discovered and do not follow the normal naming convention of ending in –ase. | peps | in | pepsin | ||||||
| pepsin/o | gen | pepsinogen | |||||||
| peri | odont | al | periodontal | ||||||
| peri | odont | itis | periodontitis | ||||||
| peri | stalsis | peristalsis | |||||||
| periton/eo | scopy | peritoneoscopy | |||||||
| periton/eo | tomy | peritoneotomy | |||||||
| Latin peritonæum, "part stretched over" | peritoneum | peritoneum | |||||||
| periton | itis | peritonitis | |||||||
| Latin pernicies, "death, destruction, ruin", related to per– ("complete") + noxi ("harm") | pernici[es] | ous | pernicious | ||||||
| plica | circularis | plicae circulares | |||||||
| proct | itis | proctitis | |||||||
| proct/o | logist | proctologist | |||||||
| proct/o | logy | proctology | |||||||
| proct/o | pexy | proctopexy | |||||||
| proct/o | ptosis | proctoptosis | |||||||
| proct/o | scope | proctoscope | |||||||
| propria | propria | ||||||||
| propuls | ion | propulsion | |||||||
| purg | ative | purgative | |||||||
| Greek pylōros, "gatekeeper" (pylē "gate, pylon" + ouros "watcher, guardian") | pylor[us] | ic | pyloric | ||||||
| pylorus | pylorus | ||||||||
| quadrate | quadrate | ||||||||
| rect | algia | rectalgia | |||||||
| rect | itis | rectitis | |||||||
| rect/o | pexy | rectopexy | |||||||
| rect/o | plasty | rectoplasty | |||||||
| Latin intestinum rectum, "straight part of bowel", because it is the straight segment of the bowel (this is a Latin translation of Galen's Greek name apeuthysmeon enteron, because he only dissected animals with truly straight rectums) | rectum | rectum | |||||||
| Latin fluxus, "flowing" | re | flux | reflux | ||||||
| saliva | saliva | ||||||||
| scleros | ing | sclerosing | |||||||
| secret[ion] | in | secretin | |||||||
| segment | ation | segmentation | |||||||
| serosa | serosa | ||||||||
| Sial/o is "saliva"; sialadeno- is the salivary gland | sial | aden | ectomy | sialadenectomy | |||||
| sial | aden | itis | sialadenitis | ||||||
| sial | aden | osis | sialadenosis | ||||||
| Sialo– + Greek agōgós, "leading" (as in pedagogy) | sial | agog | ic | sialagogic | |||||
| sial/o | aden | ectomy | sialoadenectomy | ||||||
| sial/o | aden | itis | sialoadenitis | ||||||
| sial/o | aden | osis | sialoadenosis | ||||||
| sial/o | angi | ectasis | sialoangiectasis | ||||||
| sial/o | lith | sialolith | |||||||
| sial/o | lith | iasis | sialolithiasis | ||||||
| sial/o | lith/o | tomy | sialolithotomy | ||||||
| sial/o | rrhea | sialorrhea | |||||||
| sial/o | sten | osis | sialostenosis | ||||||
| The sigmoid colon is shaped somewhat like the Greek letter sigma (ς when it appears at the end of a word), hence "sigma-oid" | sigm[a] | oid | sigmoid | ||||||
| sigmoid/o | scope | sigmoidoscope | |||||||
| sigmoid/o | scopy | sigmoidoscopy | |||||||
| steato | rrhea | steatorrhea | |||||||
| sten | osis | stenosis | |||||||
| sterco | bil | in | stercobilin | ||||||
| sterco | bil | in | ogen | stercobilinogen | |||||
| stomat | itis | stomatitis | |||||||
| stomat/o | dynia | stomatodynia | |||||||
| stomat/o | gastr | ic | stomatogastric | ||||||
| stomat/o | myc | osis | stomatomycosis | ||||||
| stomat/o | plasty | stomatoplasty | |||||||
| stomat | osis | stomatosis | |||||||
| sub | ling/u | al | sublingual | ||||||
| sub | mucos[a] | al | submucosal | ||||||
| sucr[e] | ase | sucrase | |||||||
| Latin tænia, "flat band"; Tænia or Taenia is the name of a genus of tapeworms | Taenia | Taenia | |||||||
| Greek teinesmos, "straining" | tenesmus | tenesmus | |||||||
| Trypsin is one of the first digestive enzymes isolated, by Kühne (1876). The name derives from Greek tripsis ("rubbing") + –in, apparently because he isolated it by rubbing the pancreas with glycerin. |
trypsin | trypsin | |||||||
| ulcer | ate | ulcerate | |||||||
| ulcer | ative | ulcerative | |||||||
| umbilic | al | umbilical | |||||||
| un | con | jug[are] | ated | unconjugated | |||||
| vallate | vallate | ||||||||
| vermi[s] | form | vermiform | |||||||
| Latin villus (pl. villi), "shaggy hair" | villus | villus | |||||||
| vit[a] | amin[e] | vitamin | |||||||
| volunt[us] | ary | voluntary |
Media Attributions
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