GREEK AND LATIN SUFFIXES

1. SUBSTANTIVE SUFFIXES

A) LATIN

suffix

meaning

example

-io

act of, result of, process of

inflammat-io  inflammation


-or

agent

flex-or  a muscle the action of which is to flex a joint

-ura

act or result of action

flex-ura flexion, result of bending

-itas

quality, state

obes-itas obesity

-mentum

instrument, tool

liga-mentum  ligament

-culus, a, um

-ulus, a, um

-olus, a, um

-illus, a, um

-ellus, a, um

diminutive

canali-culus  small canal

capit-ulum  small head

alve-olus small cavity or pit

pupilla  pupil (the dark circular aperture at the centre of the iris of the eye)

cereb-ellum posterior brain mass


B) GREEK

suffix

meaning

example

-ia

disease

allerg-ia  allergy

-iasis

disease, pathological state

psor-iasis  a chronic skin disease characterized by circumscribed red patches covered with white
scales

-ismus

1. state


2. addiction

nan-ismus dwarfism (a genetic abnormality resulting in short stature)

alcohol-ismus  alcoholism

-itis

inflammatory disease

gastr-itis  inflammation of the stomach

-osis

1. non-inflammatory disease

2. degenerative disease

nephr-osis a non-inflammatory disease of a kidney


arthr-osis  a degenerative disease of a joint

-oma

tumor

carcin-oma  a malignant tumor of epithelial origin


2. ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES

A) Latin

suffix

             meaning

                               example

-alis, e

             relation

                               vertebr-alis

-aris, e

             relation

                               muscul-aris

-inus, a, um

             relation

                               uter-inus

-eus, a, um

             relation

                               cartilagin-eus

-osus, a, um

             full of

                               ven-osus

-atus, a, um

             equipped with

                               caud-atus

-bilis, e

             possibility

                               mo-bilis

-ilis, e

             having the quality

                               frag-ilis


B) Greek

suffix

             meaning

                               example

-icus, a, um

             relation

                               thorac-icus

-ideus, a, um

             similar to

                               xipho-ideus


EXERCISE 1

Form adjectives from the given nouns:

1. cranium, ii, n.

1a. facies, ei, f.

2. vertebra, ae, f.

3.corpus, oris, n.

4. os (sacrum), ossis, n.

5. coccyx, gis, f.

6. sternum, i, n.

7. costa, ae, f.

8. pelvis, is, f.

9.-16. manus, us, f.

9. clavicula, ae, f.

10. scapula, ae, f.

11. humerus, i, m.

12. radius, ii, m.

13. ulna, ae, f.

14. carpus, i, m.

15. metacarpus, i, m.

16. digitus, i, m.

17. pelvis, is, f.

18. cervix, icis, f.

19. femur, oris, n.

20. patella, ae, f.

21. tibia, ae, f.

22. fibula, ae. f.

23. phalanx, gis, f.


                                                                      scan0007



EXERCISE 2

Give the nouns which the following adjectives come from:

Note: The adjectives contain the suffix -icus, -a, -um, which is usually combined with nouns of
Greek origin.

gastricus, a, um                                                 thoracicus, a, um

diabeticus, a, um                                               hepaticus, a, um

traumaticus, a, um                                            caroticus, a, um

allergicus, a, um                                                diphthericus, a, um


EXERCISE 3

Use the suffixes to derive adjectives with the meaning of words in brackets:

-osus:  arteria             > .................................... (arterious, arterial)

            gangrena        > .................................... (gangrenous)

            nervus            > .................................... (nervous)

            ligamentum   > .................................... (limagentous, ligamental)

-icus   allergia            > .................................... (allergic)

            anatomia        > .................................... (anatomic, anatomical)

            diphtheria      > .................................... (diphtherial)

            haemorrhagia > .................................... (haemorrhagic)

            lympha           > .................................... (lymphatic)

            ovarium          > .................................... (ovarian)


-inus   palatum          > .................................... (palatal, palatine)

            uterus             > ................................ (uterine)


EXERCISE 4

Derive names of inflammatory diseases from the given nouns:

Example: gaster → genitive gastr-is  → gastr-itis (gastritis, inflammatory disease of stomach)


bronchus                                                       hepar

meninx
periosteum

larynx                                                             myocardium

colon                                                              pharynx


EXERCISE 5

Derive names of inflammatory diseases from the given nouns, and match them with the adjectives in
the correct form:

Example: duodenum + acutus, a, um  →   duodenitis acuta

appendix + gangraenosus, a, um

pharynx + chronicus, a, um

meninx + tuberculosus, a, um

myocardium + purulentus, a, um

colon + mucosus, a, um

pericardium + siccus, a, um

pancreas + acutus, a, um


EXERCISE 6

Fill in missing diminutives/nouns which the diminutives were derived from:

__________________ventriculus                            ___________________ septulum

tuber _____________________                              os (bone) __________________

____________________cuticula                             ___________________ musculus

canalis____________________                               vena _______________________

____________________ nodulus                            ____________________ auricula

dens ______________________                              valva _______________________