Chapter 2: Suffixes
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Chapter Objectives
• Define a suffix.
• How suffixes are used.
• General noun, adjective, and plural suffixes.
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Suffixes
• Suffix = word ending that modifies a root
• May indicate a noun or adjective
• Often determines how word begins
– Myel/o (bone marrow) + -oid = myeloid (like or
pertaining to bone marrow)
– Myel/o + -oma = myeloma (tumor of the bone
marrow)
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Noun Suffixes
• Suffixes can convert roots into nouns
– The ending –sis may appear with different combining
vowels as: -osis, -iasis,
-esis, or -asis
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Suffixes That Mean “Condition of”
Suffix
Example
Definition of Example
-ia
dementia
loss of (de-) intellectual function
-ism
racism
discrimination based on race
-sis
thrombosis
having a blood clot (thrombus) in a
vessel
-y
atony
lack of muscle tone
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Suffixes for Medical Specialties
Suffix
Meaning
Example
Definition of Example
-ian
specialist in a field
of study
physician
practitioner of medicine (from
root physi/o, meaning “nature”)
-iatrics
medical specialty
pediatrics
care and treatment of children
(ped/o)
-iatry
medical specialty
psychiatry
study and treatment of mental
(psych/o) disorders
-ics
medical specialty
orthopedics
study and treatment of the
skeleton and joints (from root
ped/o, meaning “child,” and prefix
ortho, meaning “straight”)
-ist
specialist in a field
of study
podiatrist
one who studies and treats the
foot (pod/o)
-logy
study of
physiology
study of function in a living
organism
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Adjective Suffixes
• Adjective endings meaning “pertaining to”, “like”, or
“resembling” include:
– -ac as in cardiac
– -form as in muciform
– -ory as in respiratory
• No rules for which ending to use with a given noun
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Suffixes That Mean “Pertaining to,”
“Like,” or “Resembling”
Suffix
Example
Definition of Example
-ac
cardiac
pertaining to the heart
-al
vocal
pertaining to the voice
-ar
nuclear
pertaining to a nucleus
-ary
salivary
pertaining to saliva
-form
muciform
like or resembling mucus
-ic
anatomic
pertaining to anatomy
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Suffixes That Mean “Pertaining to,”
“Like,” or “Resembling (cont’d)
Suffix
Example
Definition of Example
-ical (ic + al)
electrical
pertaining to electricity
-ile
virile
pertaining to the male; masculine
-oid
lymphoid
pertaining to the lymphatic system
-ory
circulatory
pertaining to circulation
-ous
cutaneous
pertaining to the skin
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Forming Plurals
• Special plural forms
– Words ending in –a carry plural ending –ae:
• Gingiva vs. gingivae
– Words ending in –is carry plural ending –es:
• Diagnosis vs. diagnoses
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Some Exceptions to the Rules
• Plural of sinus is sinuses
• Plural of virus is viruses
• Plural of serums is sera
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Plural Endings
Word
Ending
Plural
Ending
Singular Example
Plural Example
a
ae
vertebra (bone of the spine)
vertebrae
en
ina
lumen (central opening)
lumina
ex, ix, yx
ices
matrix (background substance; mold)
matrices
is
es
diagnosis (determination of a disease or
defect)
diagnoses
ma
mata
stigma (mark or scar)
stigmata
nx (anx,
inx, ynx)
nges
phalanx (bone of finger or toe)
phalanges
on
a
ganglion (mass of nervous tissue)
ganglia
um
a
serum (thin fluid)
sera
us
i
thrombus (blood clot)
thrombi
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Test
1. The suffix in the word learning is
(a) learn
(b) ng
(c) ing
(d) earn
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Test
1. The suffix in the word learning is
(a) learn
(b) ng
(c) ing
(d) earn
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Test
2. The suffixes -ism, -ia, and -ist are found in:
(a) verbs
(b) adjectives
(c) adverbs
(d) nouns
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Test
2. The suffixes -ism, -ia, and -ist are found in:
(a) verbs
(b) adjectives
(c) adverbs
(d) nouns
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Test
3. The suffixes -ic,-al, -ous, and -oid are found in:
(a) adjectives
(b) nouns
(c) verbs
(d) roots
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Test
3. The suffixes -ic,-al, -ous, and -oid are found in:
(a) adjectives
(b) nouns
(c) verbs
(d) roots
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Test
4. The suffix –form means:
(a) excess
(b) origin
(c) resembling
(d) paired
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Test
4. The suffix –form means:
(a) excess
(b) origin
(c) resembling
(d) paired
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Test
5. The suffix -logy means:
(a) placement
(b) study of
(c) vocabulary
(d) size
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Test
5. The suffix -logy means:
(a) placement
(b) study of
(c) vocabulary
(d) size
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Test
6. The plural of fungus is:
(a) fungi
(b) fungal
(c) fungae
(d) funga
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Test
6. The plural of fungus is:
(a) fungi
(b) fungal
(c) fungae
(d) funga
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Test
7. The plural of protozoon is:
(a) protozoi
(b) protozoae
(c) protozoas
(d) protozoa
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Test
7. The plural of protozoon is:
(a) protozoi
(b) protozoae
(c) protozoas
(d) protozoa
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Test
8. The singular of ova (eggs) is:
(a) ovi
(b) ovae
(c) ovum
(d) ovas
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Test
8. The singular of ova (eggs) is:
(a) ovi
(b) ovae
(c) ovum
(d) ovas
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Test
9. The singular of phenomena is:
(a) phenomenon
(b) phenomenae
(c) phenomenas
(d) phenomeni
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Test
9. The singular of phenomena is:
(a) phenomenon
(b) phenomenae
(c) phenomenas
(d) phenomeni
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