1
‫الطبية‬1.
‫ دبلوم السكرتارية‬-‫كلية الدراسات التطبيقية وخدمة المجتمع‬
‫جامعة الملك سعود‬
Medical Secretary Diploma Program-College of Applied Studies & Community Services - King Suad University
Suffixes
A suffix is a word ending that modifies a root. A suffix may indicate that
the word is a noun or an adjective and often determines how the definition of
the word will begin.
For example, using the root myel/o, meaning “bone marrow,”
-the adjective ending -oid forms the word myeloid, which means
“like or pertaining to bone marrow.”
-The ending -oma produces myeloma, which is a tumor of the bone marrow.
-Adding another root, gen, which represents genesis or origin and the adjective
ending -ous forms the word myelogenous, meaning “originating in bone
marrow.”
Noun Suffixes
Suffixes That Mean “Condition Of”
SUFFIX
EXAMPLE
DEFINITION OF EXAMPLE
-ia
phobia
persistent and exaggerated fear
-ism
alcoholism
impaired control of alcohol use
-sis*
acidosis
acid condition of body fluids
-y
tetany
sustained muscle contraction
*The ending -sis may appear with a combining vowel, as -osis, -iasis, -esis, or
-asis. The first two of these denote an abnormal condition.
Exercise(2):
Write the suffix that means “condition of” in each of the following words:
1. egotism (exaggerated self-importance)
-ism
2. dysentery (intestinal disorder)
-------------------------3. insomnia (inability to sleep)
------------------------4. parasitism (infection with parasites or behaving as a parasite) -----------------5. thrombosis (having a blood clot in a vessel)
---------------------6.analgesia (absence of pain)
---------------------7. sclerosis (hardening)
---------------------8. atony (lack of muscle tone)
---------------------Medical Terminology
"Level One – Medical Secretary"
By: Lec. Tagreed Osman
2
‫الطبية‬1.
‫ دبلوم السكرتارية‬-‫كلية الدراسات التطبيقية وخدمة المجتمع‬
‫جامعة الملك سعود‬
Medical Secretary Diploma Program-College of Applied Studies & Community Services - King Suad University
Suffixes for Medical Specialties:
SUFFIX
MEANING EXAMPLE
-ian
specialist in
a field of
study
medical
specialty
medical
specialty
medical
specialty
-iatrics
-iatry
-ics
-ist
-logy
specialist in
a field of
study
study of
physician
DEFINITION OF EXAMPLE
practitioner of medicine (from root
physi/o, meaning “nature”)
geriatrics
study and treatment of the aged (from
root ger/i, meaning “old age”)
podiatry
study and treatment of the foot (from
root pod/o, meaning “foot”)
orthopedics study and treatment of the skeleton and
joints (from root ped/o, meaning"
child,” and prefix ortho, meaning"
straight”)
cardiologist specialist in the study and treatment of
the heart (from root cardi/o, meaning
“heart”)
physiology Study of function in a living
organism(from root physi/o, meaning
“nature”)
Exercise(3):
Write the suffix in each of the following words that means “study of,”
“medical specialty,” or “specialist in a field of study”:
1. dentist (one who treats the teeth and mouth)
-ist
2. neurology (the study of the nervous system)
------------------------3. pediatrics (treatment of children)
------------------------4. technologist (specialist in a technical field)
------------------------5. psychiatry (study and treatment of mental disorders) ------------------------Write a word for a specialist in each of the following fields:
6. anatomy (study of body structure)
------------------------7. pediatrics (care and treatment of children)
------------------------8. radiology (use of radiation in diagnosis and treatment) ------------------------9. orthodontics (correction of the teeth)
------------------------Medical Terminology
"Level One – Medical Secretary"
By: Lec. Tagreed Osman
3
‫الطبية‬1.
‫ دبلوم السكرتارية‬-‫كلية الدراسات التطبيقية وخدمة المجتمع‬
‫جامعة الملك سعود‬
Medical Secretary Diploma Program-College of Applied Studies & Community Services - King Suad University
Adjective Suffixes:
The suffixes below are all adjective endings that mean “pertaining to” or
“resembling”. There are no rules for which ending to use for a given noun.
DEFINITION OF EXAMPLE
SUFFIX
EXAMPLE
-ac
cardiac
pertaining to the heart
-al
skeletal
pertaining to the skeleton
-ar
muscular
pertaining to muscles
-ary
dietary
pertaining to the diet
-form
muciform
-ic*
metric
-ical (ic + al)
anatomical
-ile
febrile
pertaining to fever
-oid
toxoid
resembling toxin (poison)
-ory
respiratory
-ous
venous
like or resembling mucus
pertaining to a meter (unit of measurement
pertaining to anatomy
pertaining to respiration
pertaining to a vein
*For words ending with the suffix -sis, the first s in the ending is changed to t
before adding -ic to form the adjective, as in psychotic, pertaining
to psychosis (a mental disorder), or diuretic, pertaining to diuresis (increased
urination).
Exercise(4):
Identify the suffix meaning “pertaining to” or “resembling” in each of the
following words:
1. salivary (pertaining to saliva)
-ary
2. pelvic (pertaining to the pelvis)
------------------------3. neurotic (pertaining to neurosis)
------------------------4. fibrous (pertaining to fibers)
------------------------5. epileptiform (resembling epilepsy)
------------------------6. ovoid (resembling an egg)
------------------------7. topical (pertaining to a surface)
------------------------Medical Terminology
"Level One – Medical Secretary"
By: Lec. Tagreed Osman
4
‫الطبية‬1.
‫ دبلوم السكرتارية‬-‫كلية الدراسات التطبيقية وخدمة المجتمع‬
‫جامعة الملك سعود‬
Medical Secretary Diploma Program-College of Applied Studies & Community Services - King Suad University
8. virile (masculine)
9. vocal (pertaining to the voice)
10. surgical (pertaining to surgery)
11. nuclear (pertaining to a nucleus)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forming Plurals
Many medical words have special plural forms based on the ending of the
word.
Some Exceptions to the Rules
There are exceptions to the rules above for forming plurals. For
example, the plural of virus is viruses, and serums is sometimes used instead of
sera. An -es ending may be added to words ending in -ex or -ix to form a
plural, as in appendixes, apexes, and indexes.
Plural Endings:
WORD
PLURAL
SINGULAR
ENDING
ENDING
EXAMPLE
a
ae
Vertebra
Vertebrae
en
ina
foramen (opening)
foramina
ex, ix, yx
ices
is
es
ma
mata
nx (anx,
inx, ynx)
on
nges
um
a
appendix(something
added)
diagnosis
(identification of
disease)
stigma (mark or
scar)
phalanx (bone of
finger or toe)
spermatozoon (male
reproductive cell)
ovum (egg)
us
ii
embolus
a
Medical Terminology
PLURAL EXAMPLE
appendices
diagnoses
stigmata
phalanges
spermatozoa
ova
emboli
"Level One – Medical Secretary"
By: Lec. Tagreed Osman
5
‫الطبية‬1.
‫ دبلوم السكرتارية‬-‫كلية الدراسات التطبيقية وخدمة المجتمع‬
‫جامعة الملك سعود‬
Medical Secretary Diploma Program-College of Applied Studies & Community Services - King Suad University
Exercise(5):
1)Write the plural form of each of the following words. The word ending
is underlined in each.
1. vertebra (bone of the spine)
vertebrae
2. ganglion (mass of nerve tissue) ------------------------3. omentum (abdominal membrane) ------------------------4. testis (male gonad)
------------------------5. lumen (central opening)
------------------------6. matrix (background substance; mold) ------------------------7. serum (liquid)
------------------------8. meninx (membrane around the brain and spinal cord) ------------------------9. focus (center)
------------------------10. pelvis (bony hip girdle)
------------------------11. adenoma (tumor of a gland)
------------------------2)Write the suffix that means “condition of” in each of the following
words:
1. necrosis
2. dysentery
3. insomnia
3)Write the adjective ending of each of the following words:
1. febrile
2. symmetrical
3. anemic
4)Write the singular form of each of the following words:
1. patellae
2. ova
3. protozoa
Medical Terminology
"Level One – Medical Secretary"
By: Lec. Tagreed Osman
6
‫الطبية‬1.
‫ دبلوم السكرتارية‬-‫كلية الدراسات التطبيقية وخدمة المجتمع‬
‫جامعة الملك سعود‬
Medical Secretary Diploma Program-College of Applied Studies & Community Services - King Suad University
Diagnostic suffixes :
a. Suffixes which describe disease conditions or their symptoms
Suffix
Meaning
Terminology
Meaning
- ALGIA
PAIN
ARTHRALGIA
PAIN IN THE JOINT
- CYTE
CELL
LEUKOCYTE
WHITE BLOOD CELL
- EMIA
BLOOD
CODITION
LEUKEMIA
PRESENCE OF LARGE NO
OF IMMATURE WBC
- ITIS
INFLAMMATION
MENINGITIS
THE MENINGITIS ARE
MEMBRANES THAT
SURROUND & PROTECT
THE BRAIN AND SPINAL
CORD
- LOGIST
ESPECIALIST IN
THE STUDY OF
NEUROLOGIST
SPECIALIST IN
NEUROLOGY
- LOGY
STUDY OF
NEPHROLOGY
STUDY OF THE KIDNEY
- MEGALY
ENLARGEMENT
CARDIOMEGALY
ENLARGEMENT OF THE
HEART
- OMA
TUMOR & MASS
HEPATOMA
TUMOR OF THE LIVER
- PATHY
DISEASE
ENCEPHALOPATHY
DISEASE OF THE BRAIN
TISSUE
- RRHEA
FLOW,
DISCHARGE
RHINORRHEA
DISCHARGE FROM THE
NOSE ( NASAL DISCHARGE
)
-SCLEROSIS
HARDENING ARTERIOSCLEROSIS
ATHEROSCELEROSIS IS
THE MOST COMMON TYPE
OF ATHEROSCELEROSIS, A
FATTY PLAQUE COLLECTS
ON THE LINING OF
ARTERILS
- URIA
CONDITION OF
URINE
CONDITION OCCUR DUE
TO BLEEDING INTO THE
URINARY TRACT
Medical Terminology
HEMATURIA
"Level One – Medical Secretary"
By: Lec. Tagreed Osman
7
‫الطبية‬1.
‫ دبلوم السكرتارية‬-‫كلية الدراسات التطبيقية وخدمة المجتمع‬
‫جامعة الملك سعود‬
Medical Secretary Diploma Program-College of Applied Studies & Community Services - King Suad University
Medical Terminology
"Level One – Medical Secretary"
By: Lec. Tagreed Osman