Concepts of Medical
Terminology
Chapter Contents
Word Parts
Combining Forms
Word Derivations
Pronunciation
Symbols
Abbreviations
Words Ending In x
Suffixes Beginning With rh
Chapter Review
Case Study
Answer Section
Objectives
After study of this chapter you should be able to:
1. Explain the purpose of medical terminology.
2. Define the terms root, suffix, and prefix.
3. Explain what combining forms are and why they are
used.
4. Name the languages from which most medical word
parts are derived.
5. Pronounce words according to the pronunciation guide
used in this text.
6. Analyze a case study with regard to some concepts of
medical terminology.
Medical terminology is a special vocabulary used by health
care professionals for effective and accurate
communication.
Because it is based mainly on Greek and Latin words,
medical terminology is consistent and uniform throughout
the world.
It is efficient; although some of the terms are long, they
often reduce an entire phrase to a single word.
example : gastroduodenostomy
stands for “a communication between the stomach and the first
part of the small intestine” (Fig. 1-1).
Gastroduodenostomy: A communication(-stomy) between
the stomach (gastr) and the first part of the small
intestine ,duodenum(duoden)
Word Parts
The root
A suffix
A prefix
Word Parts
The root: The fundamental unit of each medical
word, basic meaning of the word and is the part
to which modifying prefixes and suffixes are
added.
A suffix: is a short word part or series of
parts added at the end of a root to modify
its meaning. In this book suffixes are
indicated by a dash before the suffix, such
as -itis.
A prefix : is a short word part added
before a root to modify its meaning. In
this book prefixes are indicated by a dash
after the prefix, such as pre-
Combining Forms
When a suffix beginning with a consonant is
added to a root, a vowel (usually an o) is
inserted between the root and the suffix to aid
in pronunciation.(Ex: Gastroduodenostomy)
A combining vowel may be added between a
root and a suffix
neur + o + logy = neurology (study of the nervous system)
- suffix -logy, meaning “study”
- root neur, meaning “nerve or nervous system"
Combining Forms
Roots shown with a combining vowel are
called Combining Forms
A combining vowel usually is not used if the
ending begins with a vowel.
The root neur is combined with the suffix
-itis, meaning “inflammation of,” in this way
neur + itis = neuritis (inflammation of a nerve)
Word Derivations
most medical word parts come from Greek (G) and Latin (L)
words
Example 1 : muscle comes from a Latin word that means
“mouse” (because the movement of a muscle under the skin was thought to
resemble the scampering of a mouse)
Example 2 : The coccyx, the tail end of the spine, is named for
the cuckoo (because it was thought to resemble the cuckoo’s bill)
Pronunciation
A vowel (a, e, i, o, u) gets a short pronunciation if it has no pronunciation mark
over it, such as:
a as in hat
e as in met
i as in bin
o as in some
u as in run
short line over the vowel gives it a long pronunciation:
Soft and Hard c and g
A soft c, as in racer, will be written as s
A hard c, as in candy, will be written as k
A soft g, as in page, will be written as j
A hard g, as in grow, will be written as g
Symbols
Symbols are commonly used in case
histories as a form of shorthand. Some
examples are L and R for left and right;
↑ and ↓ for increase and decrease.
Abbreviations
An acronym(Abbreviations) is an abbreviation
formed from the first letter of each word in a
phrase
abbreviations can save time
may have different meanings in different fields
Example: ASAP (as soon as possible)
Words Ending In x
When a word ending in x, the x is changed to g
or c .
Ex: - pharynx (throat) becomes pharyngeal ( to
mean “pertaining to the throat)
- coccyx (terminal portion of the vertebral
column) becomes coccygeal (to mean
“pertaining to the coccyx)
Suffixes Beginning With rh
When
When a suffix beginning with rh is added to a
root, the r is doubled:
hem/o (blood) + -rhage (bursting forth) =
hemorrhage (a bursting forth of blood)
men/o (menses) + -rhea (flow, discharge) =
menorrhea (menstrual flow
