CH 1. – INTRO TO
VETERINARY TERMINOLOGY
Where did they get these words
from???
• 75% are based on _______ or _______ origin
• Veterinary medical terms are based on human medical
terms.
• Greeks were the founders of modern medicine
• Latin is the universal source of medical language
Ok, I don’t know either of those
languages, so how am I supposed
to learn these terms?
There are many ways to learn a large amount of
veterinary terms:
• Breakdown words into their parts to simplify
difficult vocabulary. Find the parts that you
know/recognize.
– prefix, suffix, root word (aka: elementary reading)
• Learn basic anatomy and physiology of each body
system (which you will be doing in this class and A & P)
• Relate the words and their parts to each body system
• Many of the same terms are used throughout the
different aspects/branches of veterinary medicine
(Large animal, small animal, lab animal, exotics,
research, etc..)
• Be creative! Use pictures, diagrams, charts, and
flashcards to help you with the many, many words.
• Use textbooks and dictionaries (the answers are in
them, you just have to look them up)
• Do the end of chapter exercises and questions (the
test before the test). THE ANSWERS ARE IN
YOUR BOOK.
REVIEW
• PREFIX: ____________ of a word
• SUFFIX: ____________ of a word
– RULE – prefixes and suffixes can
never be alone without a root
EXAMPLE: The intra- is a preto the –oma of the -itis.
• ________: foundation or basic meaning of
a word that may appear with a prefix or
suffix
• ___________ _______: a root with an
added vowel that combines the root with a
suffix or another root to make
pronunciation easier
• ____________: a word that contains
more than one root and each retains their
meanings
TIME FOR SOME EXAMPLES:
• ANTISEPSIS –
– PREFIX: anti- = ___________
– ROOT: -sepsis = ___________
• RHINITIS –
– ROOT: rhin- = _____________
– SUFFIX: -itis = _____________
EXAMPLES, CONT’D
• ARTERIOSCLEROSIS –
–
–
–
–
ROOT: arteri- = ____________
COMBINING VOWEL: o
ROOT: scelr- = _____________
SUFFIX: -osis= ______________
– NOTE: this is an example of compounds
Now you know what the word
means, but can you pronounce it?
• “ch” can sound like “____”
– EXAMPLE: chronic (pronounced kronic)
• “ps” can sound like “____”
– EXAMPLE psychologist (pronounced
(sycologist)
• “pn” can sound like “____”
– EXAMPLE: pneumonia (pronounced
newmonia)
PRONOUNCIATION CONT’D
• “c” can sound like “s” and “g” can sound like “j”
if placed before the letters “___”, “___”, and
“___”
– EXAMPLES: cellar (pronounced sellar), cypress
(pronounced sypress) general (pronounced
jeneral), gel (pronounced jel)
• “ae” and “oe” are pronounced ee
– EXAMPLE: algae is pronounced algee
PRONUNCIATION CONT’D
• “i” at the end of the word is pronounced “eye”
and makes the word ________.
– EXAMPLE: Carpus is the wrist. A dog has two
carpi.
• es at the end of a word can sound like “_____”
– EXAMPLE: Nares (the nostrils) are pronounced
nare – eez, phalanges (the fingers) are
pronounced falange - eez
HOW TO MAKE A WORD INTO THE
PLURAL FORM
• Sometimes you may just add an “s” or “es”,
however “ae”, “ia”, “i”, and “ata” are also
ending that can make a word into its plural
version
– EXAMPLES: lacuna becomes lacunae,
mitochondrion becomes mitochondria,
glomerulus becomes glomeruli, and stoma
becomes stomata
S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G Counts!
• YOU MUST SPELL CORRECTLY!
– Imagine if your personal medical chart read:
“This payshent has a feever and a headayke.”
• This does not mean that you should spell
phonetically (how the word is pronounced).
S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G
• Some medical terms sound exactly alike, but are
spelled differently and have different meanings.
– EXAMPLE:
– _______ = a part of the bones of the pelvis
– _______ = a section of the intestinal tract
– You cannot write in a chart that a patient has a
fractured ileum, or that the ilium has an
obstruction. It does not make sense and
misinterpretation could lead to a misdiagnosis.
TO MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF…
• Organize the material that you learn each day and
break it down into sections. For instance, prefixes vs.
suffixes. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE NIGHT BEFORE
THE EXAM/QUIZ TO STUDY!
• Find examples of words that you already know to make
it easier to remember meanings and pronunciation, even
if your examples are not medical terms.
– For instance, you knew the meanings of the words
antibacterial, preschool, hyperactive, cardiologist, telescope,
and biology before starting this class. Use what you already
know!!
• DO THE REVIEWS. They are a way of
testing yourself before the test.
• Write the words as you learn (make flash
cards). Saying them as you write them will
help you to remember the meaning,
pronunciation, and spelling.
• Quiz each other. This allows both people to
practice saying words and reviewing
definitions (and you will make a friend ).