Chapter 1: Concepts of
Medical Terminology
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Learning Objectives
• Explain the purpose of medical terminology.
• Name the languages from which most medical word parts
are derived.
• Define the terms root, suffix, and prefix.
• Explain what combining forms are and why they are
used.
• Pronounce words according to the pronunciation guide
used in this text.
• List three features of medical dictionaries.
• Identify medical words and abbreviations in case studies
to review concepts of medical terminology.
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Pretest
1. The main part of a word is called the:
(a) origin
(b) prefix
(c) root
(d) extension
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Pretest
1. The main part of a word is called the:
(a) origin
(b) prefix
(c) root
(d) extension
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Pretest
2. A word part at the beginning of a word is a(n):
(a) prefix
(b) combining form
(c) preview
(d) root
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Pretest
2. A word part at the beginning of a word is a(n):
(a) prefix
(b) combining form
(c) preview
(d) root
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Pretest
3. A word part at the end of a word is the:
(a) vowel
(b) adjective
(c) insertion
(d) suffix
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Pretest
3. A word part at the end of a word is the:
(a) vowel
(b) adjective
(c) insertion
(d) suffix
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Pretest
4. Most medical words are derived from the languages:
(a) French and Italian
(b) Greek and Latin
(c) English and German
(d) Greek and Arabic
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Pretest
4. Most medical words are derived from the languages:
(a) French and Italian
(b) Greek and Latin
(c) English and German
(d) Greek and Arabic
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Pretest
5. The adjective form of cervix, meaning “neck,” is:
(a) cervical
(b) cervixal
(c) cervous
(d) cerviral
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Pretest
5. The adjective form of cervix, meaning “neck,” is:
(a) cervical
(b) cervixal
(c) cervous
(d) cerviral
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Pretest
6. The ch in the word chemistry is pronounced like the
letter:
(a) s
(b) h
(c) k
(d) f
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Pretest
6. The ch in the word chemistry is pronounced like the
letter:
(a) s
(b) h
(c) k
(d) f
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Pretest
7. The ps in the word psychology is pronounced like the
letter:
(a) p
(b) s
(c) j
(d) k
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Pretest
7. The ps in the word psychology is pronounced like the
letter:
(a) p
(b) s
(c) j
(d) k
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Pretest
8. The pn in the word pneumonia is pronounced like the
letter:
(a) p
(b) u
(c) m
(d) n
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Pretest
8. The pn in the word pneumonia is pronounced like the
letter:
(a) p
(b) u
(c) m
(d) n
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Pretest
9. The symbol ® means:
(a) right
(b) review
(c) redirect
(d) register
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Pretest
9. The symbol ® means:
(a) right
(b) review
(c) redirect
(d) register
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Concepts of Medical Terminology
• Special vocabulary used by health care professionals for
effective and accurate communication
• Based on Latin and Greek words
• Consistent and uniform throughout the world
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Word Parts
• Root
– Fundamental unit of each medical word
– Establishes basic meaning of word
– Part to which prefixes and suffixes are added
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Word Parts (cont’d)
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Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Word Parts (cont’d)
• Suffix
– Short word part or parts added to the end of a word
– Modifies the meaning of the root
– Indicated by a dash before the suffix (-itis)
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Word Parts (cont’d)
• Prefix
- Short word part added before a root
– Modifies the meaning of the root
– Followed by a dash (pre-)
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Word Parts (cont’d)
• Begin with “learn”
– Learn + -er = one who learns
– Re + learn = to learn again
• Greek word for heart is kardia
– Forms word root cardi
• Latin word for lung is pulmo
– Forms word root pulm
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Combining Forms
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Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Combining Forms (cont’d)
• Insert an ‘o’ before a suffix beginning with a consonant
when added to a root
– -logy = “study of”
– Neur = “nerve or nervous system”
• Neur + o + logy = neurology (study of the nervous
system)
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Combining Forms (cont’d)
• Roots shown with a combining vowel are called
combining forms
– Vowels added after a slash
– Called roots
– Neur/o
• Combining vowel omitted if suffix begins with a vowel
• Neur + itis = neuritis (inflammation of a nerve)
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Combining Forms (cont’d)
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Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Word Derivations
• Most word parts derived from Greek (G) and Latin (L)
– Muscle is Latin for ‘mouse’
– Coccyx named for the cuckoo’s bill
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Words Ending in x
• When you add a suffix to a wording ending in x, the x is
changed to a g or a c
– If there is a consonant before the x, the x is changed
to a g (pharynx becomes pharyngeal)
– If a vowel comes before the x, the x is changed to a
c (thorax becomes thoracotomy)
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Suffix Beginning with rh
• When you add a suffix beginning with rh to a root, the r
is doubled
– Hem/o (blood) + -rhage (bursting forth) =
hemorrhage (a bursting forth of blood)
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Pronunciation
• Use phonetic pronunciations provided
• Repeat words aloud
• Pronunciations may change when parts are combined
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Pronunciation (cont’d)
• Vowels with no pronunciation marks get short
pronunciation
– ‘a’ as in hat
• Short line over vowel gives it long pronunciation
– ‘ā’ as in say
• Accented syllable indicated with capital letters
– as in AK-sent
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Soft and Hard c and g
• Soft c, as in racer = (RĀ-ser)
• Hard c, as in candy = (KAN-dē)
• Soft g, as in page, written as j = (pāj)
• Hard g, as in grow = (grō)
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Silent Letters and Unusual Pronunciations
• Silent letters and unusual pronunciations can be a
problem, especially if they appear at the start of a word
• Examples:
– pneumonia: pronunciation is “n”
– pseudonym: pronunciation is “s”
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Word and Phrase Abbreviations
• Can save time
• May cause confusion
• May be subject to error
• Acronym = abbreviation formed from first letter of each
word in a phrase
– ASAP = as soon as possible
– FDA = Food and Drug Administration
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Symbols
• Used as shorthand in case histories
• ® = right
•  = increase
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Key Terms
acronym
An abbreviation formed from the first letter of each word
in a phrase
combining form
A word root combined with a vowel to link the root with
a suffix. Combining forms are shown with a slash
between the root and the vowel, as in neur/o.
compound word A word that contains more than one root
prefix
A word part added before a root to modify its meaning
root
The fundamental unit of a word
suffix
A word part added to the end of a root to modify its
meaning
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Post Test
1. The term gastrointestinal is a(n)
a. abbreviation
b. word root
c. combining form
d. compound word
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Post Test
1. The term gastrointestinal is a(n)
a. abbreviation
b. word root
c. combining form
d. compound word
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Post Test
2. The fundamental unit of a word is the ____________ .
3. The combining form for nerve or nervous system
is ____________________ .
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Post Test
2. The fundamental unit of a word is the __root______ .
3. The combining form for nerve or nervous system
is ____ neur/o__________ .
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