Latin/Greek Roots and Affixation

SUFFIX
ROOT
PREFIX

MEANING

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

DIAGNOSTIC SUFFIXES AND COMPOUNDING ELEMENTS

- asthen

weakness (a - neg.
and sthen-strength)

Neurasthenia:
Nervous prostration

blood

Anemia: Deficiency of red blood cells

- itis

inflammation

Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin

- oma

tumour

Carcinoma: A malignant growth

- osis

a condition,
usually morbid also
indicates an
increase

emia

a. Neurosis: Functional disorder of the nervous system.

- path
- pathy

disease,
suffering

Cardiopathy: Any disease of the heart

phobia

persistent,
abnormal fear

Claustrophobia: Fear of being closed in

ptosis

downward
displacement,
falling

Gastroptosis: Downward displacement of the stomach

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 out

ostomy

making an
opening into (osmouth)
incision into

otomy

Tansilectomy: Removal of tonsils

Colostomy: Making a more or less permanent opening into

Phlebotomy: Opening into a vein (phlebos)

oscopy

inspection,
examination

Bronchoscopy: Examination of the bronchi with an

pexy

fixation,
suspension

Hysteropexy: Fixation of the uterus to the abdominal wall

plasty

plastic repair
of; surgical
correction

Hernioplasty: Plastic repair of a hernia

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; dissolution

like

- oid
penia
- rhea
rrhagia

Keratolysis: Separation of the horny layer of the skin

Fibroid: A tumour of fibrous tissue, resembling fibers

deficiency,
decrease

Leucocytopenia: Decrease in number of white cells

flow or
discharge

Diarrhea: Abnormal frequency and fluidity of stools

excessive

Hemorrhage: excessive bleeding

flow

ROOTS

aden -

gland

Adenitis: Inflammation of a gland

angio

vessel

Angiospasm: Spasmodic contraction of the blood vessels

arthr

joint

Arthritis: Inflammation of the joints

bleph

eyelid

Blepharoplegia: Paralysis of an eyelid

bucc

cheek

Buccolabial: Pertaining to the cheek and the lip

cardi

heart

Cardiodynia: Pain in the heart

cereb

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

derm

skin

Dermatosis: Disease affecting the true skin

ence

brain

Encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain

ar aro -

a-

phalenter

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

hyste

uterus

gingi

gums

laryn

larynx

lip -

fat

Lipoma: a fatty tumour

lith -

stone

Lithotomy: Removal of a stone by cutting into the bladder

myel

marrow (the
spinal cord)

myo -

muscle

r-

Hysteropexy: Fixation of a displaced uterus by a surgical

Gingivitis: Inflammation of the gums

vg-

myrin
g-

ear drum
(membrana tympani)

Laryngoscope: Instrument for ocular examination of the

Myelitis: Inflammation of the bone marrow or the spinal cord

Myalgia: Painful muscle

neph

kidney

Nephrotoxic: Toxic or destructive to the kidney

neur

nerve

Neurasthenia: Nervous exhaustion

eye

Ophthalmic: Pertaining to the eye

roopht
halm-

opt -

vision or sight

Optometer: A device for measuring the power and range of

mouth

Oral: Pertaining to the mouth

ot -

ear

Otitis: Inflammation of the ear

osteo

bone

Osteomalacia: Softening of the bone

palpe

eyelid

Palpebration: The act of winking

phary

throat

Pharyngoplasty: Plastic operation on the pharynx

phleb

vein

Phlebitis: Inflammation of a vein

phre

(1) the mind;

os (or -)

br ng n-

1) Schizophrenia: Disturbance of the mental functions;

(2) the
diaphragm

pnea
pneu
mo pulm

breathing

lung; also air

lung

Dyspnea: Difficult breathing

Pneumothorax: Accumulation of the air or gas in the pleural

Pulmonary: Pertaining to the lungs

opyel -

pelvis (of the

Pyelonephritis: Inflammation of the kidney and its pelvis

pyo -

pus

Pyoderma: Any skin discharge characterized by pus

rhin -

nose

Rhinitis: Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose

salpi

tube

Salpingoscopy: Examination of the Eustachian tube

ng stom
o-

mouth;
opening

Colostomy: Surgical formation of an opening into the colon

thora

chest

Thoracic: Pertaining to the chest

trach

neck

Trachelocystitits: Inflammation of the neck of the bladder

co evisce
r-

organ
(especially
abdominal)

Visceral: Pertaining to the internal organs

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; again;
excessive

ante -

before (time
or place)

Anaphylaxis: Unusual or exaggerated reaction to foreign

Antepartum: Before childbirth

anti -

against

Antipruritic: Relieving or preventing itching

brady

slow

Bradysphygmia: Abnormal slowness of the pulse

together, with

Congenital: Born with; hereditary

co -,
con contr

against;
opposite

Contraceptive: Anything used to prevent conception

dys -

difficult,
painful, bad

Dyspnea: Painful breathing

a-

ecto -

outside

Ectopic: Out of the normal place

endo

within

Endocrine: pertaining to internal secretion

epi -

on, upon

Epidermis: Outermost layer of the skin

eryth

red

Erythrocyte: Red blood cell

ro -

ex -

away from,
outside, without

hyper

above,
excessive

hypo

beneath,
deficient

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

huge; very

Megalocyte: An extremely large erythrocyte

new

Neonatal: Pertaining to the first four weeks of life

Expire: To breathe out

Hypertension: Blood pressure above normal; high blood

Hypodermic: Under the skin

leuco mega
megalo neo necro
oligo

large

relating to a
dead body

scanty; few

Necroscopy: A postmortem examination

Oliguria: Diminished urine secretion

ortho

straight;
normal; correct

Orthopedic: Pertaining to the correction of deformities

para -

beside;
around; near;
abnormal

Paranoia: A mental disease

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; superior

Supraoccipital: Situated above the back part of the skull

with, together,
beside

Symphysis: The line of junction and fusion between bones

super syn sym tachy

rapid, swift

Tachypnea: Excessive rapidity of respiration

trans

across, over

Transection: Incision across the long axis; a cross section