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 |
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