Latin/Greek Roots and Affixation

SUFFIX TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

(SELF)-STUDY MATERIAL; (SELF)-EXAMINATION TEST
ROOT MEANING
PREFIX

DIAGNOSTIC SUFFIXES AND COMPOUNDING ELEMENTS

- asthen weakness (a - neg. Neurasthenia:
and sthen-strength) Nervous prostration

- emia blood Anemia: Deficiency of red blood cells

- itis inflammation Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin

- oma tumour Carcinoma: A malignant growth

- osis a condition, usually a. Neurosis: Functional disorder of the nervous system.

morbid also b. Leucocytosis: Increased white cell count
indicates an
increase

- path disease, suffering Cardiopathy: Any disease of the heart

- pathy

- phobia persistent, Claustrophobia: Fear of being closed in

abnormal fear

- ptosis downward Gastroptosis: Downward displacement of the stomach

displacement,
falling

- rrhexis rupture Hysterorrhexis Rupture of the uterus

- tropho growth Atrophy: A wasting away

- tropic turning, changing Cephalotropic: Having an affinity for (turning toward) brain tissue

OPERATIONAL SUFFIXES AND COMPOUNDING ELEMENTS

- centesis puncture or tapping Cardiocentesis: Surgical puncture of the heart

- desis binding or fixation Arthrodesis: Surgical fixation of a joint

- ectomy excision; a cutting Tansilectomy: Removal of tonsils

out

- ostomy making an opening Colostomy: Making a more or less permanent opening into the
into (os-mouth) colon
- otomy incision into Phlebotomy: Opening into a vein (phlebos)

- oscopy inspection, Bronchoscopy: Examination of the bronchi with an endoscope

examination

- pexy fixation, suspension Hysteropexy: Fixation of the uterus to the abdominal wall

- plasty plastic repair of; Hernioplasty: Plastic repair of a hernia

surgical correction

SYMPTOMATIC SUFFIXES AND COMPOUNDING ELEMENTS

- algia pain Otalgia: Pain in the ear; earache

- odynia pain Gastrodynia: Pain in the stomach

- genic producing Pathogenic: Giving origin to disease

- lysis breaking down; Keratolysis: Separation of the horny layer of the skin
dissolution

- oid like Fibroid: A tumour of fibrous tissue, resembling fibers

- penia deficiency, decrease Leucocytopenia: Decrease in number of white cells

- rhea flow or discharge Diarrhea: Abnormal frequency and fluidity of stools

- rrhagia excessive flow Hemorrhage: excessive bleeding

ROOTS

aden - gland Adenitis: Inflammation of a gland

angio - vessel Angiospasm: Spasmodic contraction of the blood vessels

arthr - joint Arthritis: Inflammation of the joints

blephar - eyelid Blepharoplegia: Paralysis of an eyelid

bucca - cheek Buccolabial: Pertaining to the cheek and the lip

cardi - heart Cardiodynia: Pain in the heart

cerebro - brain Cerebral: Pertaining to the brain

cervi - neck Cervical: Pertaining to the neck

chole bile Cholangitis: Inflammation of the bile duct

cost - rib Costectomy: Excising or resecting a rib

crani - skull Cranial: Pertaining to the skull

cysto - bladder; sac Cystatrophia: Atrophy of the bladder

cyt - cell Erythrocyte: Red blood cell

cut - skin Cutaneous: Pertaining to the skin

dacry - tear Dacryocystitis: Inflammation of the tear sac

denti - tooth Dentalgia: Toothache

derma - skin Dermatosis: Disease affecting the true skin

encephal- brain Encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain

enter - intestine Enteroptosis: Downward displacement of the intestine

gastr - stomach Gastric: Pertianing to the stomach

gloss - tongue Glossoplegia: Paralysis of the tongue

hem - blood Hyperemia: Excess of blood in any part of the body

hepat - liver Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver

hyster - uterus Hysteropexy: Fixation of a displaced uterus by a surgical operation

gingiv - gums Gingivitis: Inflammation of the gums

laryng - larynx Laryngoscope: Instrument for ocular examination of the larynx

lip - fat Lipoma: a fatty tumour

lith - stone Lithotomy: Removal of a stone by cutting into the bladder

myel - marrow (the spinal Myelitis: Inflammation of the bone marrow or the spinal cord
cord)

myo - muscle Myalgia: Painful muscle

myring - ear drum Myringitis: Inflammation of the ear drum

 (membrana tympani)

nephr - kidney Nephrotoxic: Toxic or destructive to the kidney

neuro - nerve Neurasthenia: Nervous exhaustion

ophthalm eye Ophthalmic: Pertaining to the eye

-

opt - vision or sight Optometer: A device for measuring the power and range of vision

os - mouth Oral: Pertaining to the mouth

(or -)

ot - ear Otitis: Inflammation of the ear

osteo - bone Osteomalacia: Softening of the bone

palpebr - eyelid Palpebration: The act of winking

pharyng - throat Pharyngoplasty: Plastic operation on the pharynx

phleb - vein Phlebitis: Inflammation of a vein

phren - (1) the mind; 1) Schizophrenia: Disturbance of the mental functions;

2) Phrenohepatic: Pertaining to the diaphragm and the liver
(2) the diaphragm

- pnea breathing Dyspnea: Difficult breathing

pneumo - lung; also air or Pneumothorax: Accumulation of the air or gas in the pleural cavity
breathing

pulmo - lung Pulmonary: Pertaining to the lungs

pyel - pelvis (of the kidney) Pyelonephritis: Inflammation of the kidney and its pelvis

pyo - pus Pyoderma: Any skin discharge characterized by pus formation

rhin - nose Rhinitis: Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose

salping - tube Salpingoscopy: Examination of the Eustachian tube

stomo - mouth; opening Colostomy: Surgical formation of an opening into the colon

thoraco - chest Thoracic: Pertaining to the chest

trache - neck Trachelocystitits: Inflammation of the neck of the bladder

viscer - organ (especially Visceral: Pertaining to the internal organs

abdominal)

PREFIXES AND COMPOUNDING ELEMENTS

a, an without; not Asthenia: Without strength

ab - away from; off Abduct: To draw away from

ad - near; toward Adrenal: Near the kidney; adduct: to draw toward

ana - upward; bacward; Anaphylaxis: Unusual or exaggerated reaction to foreign protein;

again; excessive analysis: breaking down into component parts

ante - before (time or Antepartum: Before childbirth

place)

anti - against Antipruritic: Relieving or preventing itching

brady - slow Bradysphygmia: Abnormal slowness of the pulse

co -, con - together, with Congenital: Born with; hereditary

contra - against; opposite Contraceptive: Anything used to prevent conception

dys - difficult, painful, Dyspnea: Painful breathing

bad

ecto - outside Ectopic: Out of the normal place

endo - within Endocrine: pertaining to internal secretion

epi - on, upon Epidermis: Outermost layer of the skin

erythro - red Erythrocyte: Red blood cell

ex - away from, outside, Expire: To breathe out

without

hyper - above, excessive Hypertension: Blood pressure above normal; high blood pressure

hypo - beneath, deficient Hypodermic: Under the skin

hemi - half Hemiplegia: Paralysis of one half of the body

infra - below Infratracheal: Beneath the trachea

inter - between Intermuscular: Situated between muscles

intra - within Intracutaneous: Within the skin

leuko - white Leukocyte: A white blood corpuscle

leuco -

mega - huge; very large Megalocyte: An extremely large erythrocyte

megalo -

neo - new Neonatal: Pertaining to the first four weeks of life

necro - relating to a dead Necroscopy: A postmortem examination

body

oligo - scanty; few Oliguria: Diminished urine secretion

ortho - straight; normal; Orthopedic: Pertaining to the correction of deformities

correct

para - beside; around; Paranoia: A mental disease

near; abnormal

patho - relating to disease Pathognomonic: Characteristic of a disease

peri - around Pericardium: Membrane enclosing the heart

pro - in front of; forward Prolapse: Downward displacement of an organ

retro - backward; behind Retroversion: The tipping backward of an entire organ

sub - under; beneath Subcutaneous: Under the skin

supra - above, beyond; Supraoccipital: Situated above the back part of the skull
superior
super -

syn - with, together, Symphysis: The line of junction and fusion between bones
beside
sym -

tachy - rapid, swift Tachypnea: Excessive rapidity of respiration

trans - across, over Transection: Incision across the long axis; a cross section