Unit 1
Word-Building System: Introduction
to Word Parts
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Word Parts
1. Word root
– Foundation of medical terms
– Provides basic meaning
– Examples:
• gastr = stomach
• therm = heat
• micr = small
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Word Parts
2. Combining form
– Word root + a vowel
– Use when next part of word starts with consonant
– Examples:
• gastr/o = gastr/o/scope
• therm/o = therm/o/meter
• micr/o = micr/o/film
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Word Parts
• Building words from word parts:
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Word Parts
3. Suffix
– Word ending that adds to meaning of word root or
combining form
– Examples:
• -ic
– gastr/ic = pertaining to stomach
• -ectomy
– gastr/ectomy = surgical removal of stomach
• -scope
– gastr/o/scope = instrument for viewing interior of stomach
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Word Parts
• Building words from word parts:
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Word Parts
4. Prefix
– Word part in front of word root or combining form that
changes meaning of word
– Examples:
• epi– epi/gastric = on or over stomach
• endo– endo/gastric = within stomach
• sub– sub/gastric = under stomach
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Word-Building Rules
• Word root rule
– Use when joining word root to another word root or suffix
that begins with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u, or y)
– Examples:
• ot = ear and -algia = pain
– ot/algia = ear pain
• arthr = joint and -itis = inflammation
– arthr/itis = inflammation of joint
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Word-Building Rules
• Combining form rule
– Use when joining word root to another word root or suffix
that begins with a consonant
– Examples:
• -megaly = large
– gastr/o/megaly = large stomach
• -scope = instrument for viewing
– micr/o/scope = instrument for viewing small objects
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Combining Forms
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Compound Words
• Combination of whole words or combining
form + whole word
– Examples:
•
•
•
•
therm/o + meter = therm/o/meter
neur/o + spasm = neur/o/spasm
micr/o + surgery = micr/o/surgery
chicken + pox = chicken/pox
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Compound Words
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Compound Words
• Compound words with hydro– Examples:
•
•
•
•
hydr/o = water
hydr/o/phobia = fear of water
hydr/o/cele = water-filled saclike cavity
hydr/o/therapy = treatment using water
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Noun Suffixes
• Using suffixes to indicate nouns
– Noun
• Names a person, place, thing, body part, instrument, or procedure
• E.g., doctor, hospital, liver, stethoscope, surgery
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Noun Suffixes
• -ism = condition, state or theory
– E.g., Darwin/ism
• -tion = condition
– E.g., contrac/tion
• -ist = specialist
– E.g., psychiatr/ist
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Noun Suffixes
• -er = one who
– E.g., radiograph/er
• -ity = quality
– E.g., sensitiv/ity
• -osis = condition
– E.g., cyan/osis
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Adjectival Suffixes
• Adjective
– Describes or modifies noun
• E.g., chronic cough, reddened skin, triple bypass
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Adjectival Suffixes
• -ous = possessing, having, or full
– E.g., nerv/ous
• -able = ability
– E.g., inject/able
• -ible = ability
– E.g., ed/ible
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Suffixes that Change Part of Speech
Noun
anem/ia = condition of lacking
blood
eme/sis = action of vomiting
arthr/itis = inflammation of
joint
Adjective
anem/ic = having anemia
eme/tic = causing vomiting
arthr/itic = having arthritis
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Suffixes that Change Part of Speech
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Suffixes that Change Part of Speech
• Noun
– muc/us = water secretion
• Adjective
– muc/ous = refers to nature of mucus
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Suffixes that Change Verb Tense
• Verb
– Represents action or state of being
– Examples:
•
•
•
•
Present tense = help, treat, or operate
Present participle = helping, treating, or operating
Past tense = helped, treated, or operated
Future tense = will help, will treat, or will operate
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Suffixes that Indicate Singular and
Plural
Singular Plural
-on
-ma
-sis
-a
-mata
-ses
-nx
-a
-us
-ges
-ae
-i
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Suffixes that Indicate Singular and
Plural
Singular Plural
-um
-is
-ex
-a
-es
-ices
-ix
-ax
-ices
-aces
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Suffixes that Indicate Singular and
Plural
Singular
Plural
vertebra
bacterium
bronchus
vertebrae
bacteria
bronchi
appendix
carcinoma
spermatozoon
appendices
carcinomata
spermatozoa
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Word-Order Rules
• Rule 1
– Definitions indicate last part of word first
– E.g., gastr/itis = inflammation of stomach
• -itis = inflammation
• gastr = (of the) stomach
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Word-Order Rules
• Rule 2
– When body systems involved, build words in order organs
are studied
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Word-Order Rules
• Rule 2
– E.g., gastr/o/enter/itis = inflammation of stomach and
small intestine
• -itis = inflammation
• gastr/o = stomach
• enter = small intestine
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Word-Order Rules
• Rule 3
– Body parts come first with condition or procedure as
ending
– Examples:
• dermat/o/mycosis = fungal condition of skin
• cyst/o/scopy = process of examining urinary bladder with scope
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Enlarged
• megal/o = combining form
• -megaly = suffix
• acr/o = extremities
– Arms and legs
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Enlarged
• Examples:
– megal/o/cardia = enlarged heart
– acr/o/megaly = enlargement of extremities
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Skin
• dermat/o = skin
• dermat/o/logy = study of skin
• dermat/o/logist = one who studies and treats
skin
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Skin
• dermat/osis = any skin condition
• dermat/itis = inflammation of skin
• acr/o/dermat/itis = inflammation of skin of
extremities
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Animation
Click Here to Play Word Parts Worked Together Animation
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