Foundation year
At the end of this lecture, you should
able to:
• Define the word parts.
• Give an example of how the word parts are used.
• Recognize and use some general nouns, adjectives and
plurals used in medical terminology.
• Analyze the word parts in a case study.
The four types of word parts
are:
1.Word root
2. Suffix
3. Prefix
4.Combining vowel
WORD ROOT
• The main part or foundation of a word:
• Example: cardiac; cardi / ac
root
(heart)
SUFFIX
• Word ending.
• Example: cardiac; cardi / ac
suffix
(pertaining to)
• Another example: carditis;
card
root
(heart)
/
itis
suffix
(inflammation)
PREFIX
• Word beginning. It changes the meaning of the root.
• Prefixes, usually; not always, indicate to location,
time or number.
• Example:
pre/natal
prefix
(before
or in front of)
peri/natal
prefix
(around)
post/natal
prefix
(after)
COMBINING VOWEL
• A vowel (usually o) linking the root to the suffix or to
another root. Example:
gastr
root
(stomach)
o
enter
root
(intestine)
combining vowel
o
logy
suffix
(study of)
• The combination of a word root with the combining
vowel called COMBINING FORM.
• Example:
cardiogram;
cardi
o
gram
root
combining
suffix
(heart)
vowel
(record)
COMMONLY USED PREFIXES
1. abnormal (means away from normal)
.abnormal (adj)
Noun is abnormality.
Adverb is abnormally.
2. afebrile (means without fever). a means no or
without.
3. anaemia (n) (a-nee-mia) means a condition where
the level of haemoglobin and red blood cells is less
than normal. The prefix an means no or without.
The suffix -emia means blood condition. Anaemic is
adj.
4. diagnose (v) means identify a patient’s
condition or illness by examining the patient
and noting symptoms. dia- means through.
gnose means knowledge.
Diagnosis (n)
Diagnostic (adj)
5. dysuria (n) (dis-yoor-ia) means pain or
difficulty in passing urine.
dys
ur
prefix
(difficult)
root
(urine)
ia
suffix
(condition)
6. endoscopy (n) (en-dos-ko-pi) means an
examination of the inside of the body using an
endoscope. endoscopic (adj)
endo
prefix
(inside)
scopy
suffix
(visual examination)
7. Hypertension (n) (hy- per-ten-shon) means
high blood pressure.
hypertensive (adj)
8. Hypotension means low blood pressure.
hypo is opposite to hyper
9. intercostal (adj) (inter-kos-t’l) means between
the ribs.
inter
cost
prefix
(between)
root
(ribs)
al
suffix
(pertaining to)
10. intravenous (adj) (intra-vee-nus) means
within a vein. intravenously (adverb)
intra
ven
prefix
(within)
root
(vein)
ous
suffix
(pertaining to)
11. preoperative (adj) (pree- op-er-a-tiv): means
before operation.
12. postoperative (adj) means after.
13. subcutaneous (adj) (sub-kew-tay-nius): means
under the skin. Opposites super- and supra- means
above.
COMMONLY USED SUFFIXES
1. Angiography (n) (an-ji-og-rafi) means an X-ray
examination of blood vessels.
angi/o means blood vessel. The suffix –graphy
means the process of recording a picture.
angiograph (n) or angiogram
2. angioplasty (n) (an-ji-oh-plas-ti) means a surgical
repair of blood vessels.
3. cardiac (adj) (kar-di-ak) means pertaining to the
heart.
Heart (n).
4. Cardiology (n) (kar-di-ol-oji) means the study
of the structure, function and diseases of the
heart. The suffix –logy means study of.
cardiological (adj)
cardiologist (n) means doctor who specialises
in heart diseases.
5. Gastritis (n) (gas-try-tis) means an inflammation
of the stomach. The suffix -itis means
inflammation.
6. Gastroscopy (n) (gas-tros-ko-pi) means a visual
examination of the stomach.
gastroscopic (adj)
7. nephrosis (n) (ni-froh-sis) means any disease
of the kidney. The suffix –osis means
abnormal condition.
8. neural (adj) (newr-al) means pertaining to
the nerve.
9. neuralgia (n) (newr-al-ja) means severe burning or
stabbing pain in a nerve. The suffix -algia means pain.
10. tracheostomy (n) (tray-ki-ost-omi) means surgical
operation to make an opening in the trachea. The suffix
–stomy means to create surgically an opening.
11. gastrectomy (n) (gas-trek-tomi) means surgical
removal or excision of the stomach.
12. gastric (adj) (gas-trik) means pertaining to the
stomach.
Stomach (n)
Prefixes and roots denoting
number or size
• bi –
• two
• dipl/o
• two, double
• hemi-
• half
• hyper-
• over or more than usual
• hypo-
• under or less than usual
• iso-
• equal, same
• macro-
• large
• megal/o
• enlargement
Prefixes and roots denoting
number or size
• micro-
• small
• mono-
• one
• multi-
• many
• nulli-
• none
• poly-
• many
• semi-
• half/partial
• tri-
• three
• Uni-
• one