Listofmedicalroots,suffixesandprefixesThisisalistofroots,suffixes,andprefixesusedinmedicalterminology,theirmeanings,andtheiretymologies.MostofthemarecombiningformsinNewLatinandhenceinternationalscientificvocabulary.Thereareafewgeneralrulesabouthowtheycombine.First,prefixesandsuffixes,mostofwhicharederivedfromancientGreekorclassicalLatin,haveadroppable-o-.Asageneralrule,this-o-almostalwaysactsasajoint-stemtoconnecttwoconsonantalroots(e.g.arthr-+-o-+-logy=arthrology),butgenerally,the-o-isdroppedwhenconnectingtoavowel-stem(e.g.arthr-+-itis=arthritis,insteadofarthr-o-itis).Second,medicalrootsgenerallygotogetheraccordingtolanguage,i.e.,GreekprefixesoccurwithGreeksuffixesandLatinprefixeswithLatinsuffixes.Althoughinternationalscientificvocabularyisnotstringentaboutsegregatingcombiningformsofdifferentlanguages,itisadvisablewhencoiningnewwordsnottomixdifferentlingualroots.Thefollowingisanalphabeticallistofmedicalprefixesandsuffixes,alongwiththeirmeanings,origins,andEnglishexamples.PrefixesandsuffixesAAffixMeaningOriginlanguageandetymologyExample(s)a-,an-not,without(alphaprivative)Greekἀ-/ἀν-(a-/an-),not,withoutanalgesic,apathyab-from;awayfromLatinabductionabdomin-oforrelatingtotheabdomenLatinabdōmen,abdomen,fataroundthebellyabdomen,abdominal-acpertainingto;oneafflictedwithGreek-ακός(-akós)cardiac,hydrophobiacacanth-thornorspineGreekἄκανθα(ákantha),thornacanthion,acanthocyte,acanthoma,acanthulusacou-[1]oforrelatingtohearingGreekἀκούειν(akoúein),ἀκουστικός(akoustikós),oforforhearingacoumeter,acoustician,hyperacusisacr-extremity,topmostGreekἄκρον(ákron),highestorfarthestpointacrocrany,acromegaly,acroosteolysis,acroposthia-acusishearingGreekἀκουστικός(akoustikós),oforforhearingparacusis-adtoward,inthedirectionofLatinad,toward,todorsad,ventradad-at,increase,on,towardLatinad-,toadduction,additionaden-oforrelatingtoaglandGreekἀδήν,ἀδέν-,(adḗn,adén-),anacorn;aglandadenocarcinoma,adenology,adenotome,adenotyphusadip-ofor...
