GREEK COMPOUND WORDS
A)	Greek names for anatomical structures
genitive stem
 (nom. sg. in brackets)	English translation	example	English translation	
aden- (aden)		gland	adenoma	benign epithelial tumour having a glandular origin and structure	
angi- (angeion)	vessel	angiographia	radiographic visualization of blood vessels	
arthr- (arthron)	joint	arthritis
arthrosis

synarthrosis	inflammation of the joint
degenerative disease of the joint
immovable articulation in which the bones are united by intervening fibrous connective tissues	
cardi- (kardia)	heart	endocardium

pericardium	inner wall of the heart muscle
sac-like membrane that surrounds the heart	
cephal- (kefale)	head	diencephalon
metencephalon	interbrain
posterior part of the brain	
cheil- (cheilos)		lip	cheilorrhaphia	chirurgical suture of  the lip	
cheir- (cheir)	hand	cheirospasmus	spasm of hand muscles	
chondr- (chondros)	cartilage	perichondrium

synchondrosis	connective tissue membrane around the cartilage
cartilaginous joint between two immovable bones	
colp- (kolpos)	vagina	colporrhagia	vaginal bleeding	
cyst- (kystis)	bladder	urocystis 
cholecystis	urinary bladder
gall bladder	
cyt- (kytos)	cell	erythrocytus
leucocytus	red blood cell
white blood cell	
dactyl- (daktylos)		finger	syndactylia	congenital fusion of fingers/toes	
dermat-	skin	ectoderma

entoderma	the outermost of the three primary cell layers of an embryo
the innermost of the three primary cell layers of an embryo	
episi- (epision)	pubic region	episiotomia	incision of the perineum to avoid tearing during parturition	
gloss-/glott-
 (glossa/glotta)	tongue	glossoschisis	bifid or cleft tongue	
gon- (gony)	knee	gonarthrosis	degenerative disease of the knee joint	
hyster- (hystera)	womb	hysterectomia	surgical removal of the womb	
mast- (mastos)		breast	mastectomia	surgical removal of the breast	
metr- (metra)	womb	endometrium

parametrium	mucous membrane that lines the womb
connective tissue and fat adjacent to the uterus	
my- (mys)	muscle	myoma	benign tumour composed of muscle tissue	
myel- (myelos)		bone marrow, spinal cord	myelopathia	disease of bone marrow or the spinal cord	
nephr- (nefros)	kidney	nephrolithiasis	presence of kidney stones in the kidney	
neur- (neuron)		nerve	neuritis	inflammation of the nerve	
odont- (odus)	tooth	parodontosis

periodontium	degenerative disease of the tissue adjacent to the tooth
supporting structures of the teeth (including the cement, periodontal ligament, bone of the alveolar process and gums)	
om- (omos)		shoulder	omalgia	pain in the shoulder	
oophor- (ooforon)	ovary	oophorectomia	surgical removal of the ovary	
ophthalm- (ofthalmos)	eye	ophthalmia	inflammation of the eye	
oste- (osteon)		bone	osteogenesis	formation and development of bony tissue	
ot- (us)		ear	otitis	inflammation of the ear	
phleb- (fleps)		vein	phlebotomia	surgical incision into the vein	
phys- (fyesthai)	growth	apophysis

diaphysis	usually bony projection or protuberance, as on the vertebra	
pneum-/pneumon- (pneumon)	lung	pneumonia	inflammation of lungs	
pod- (pus)		foot	podalgia	pain in the foot	
rhin- (rhis)	nose	rhinitis	inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane	
salping- (salpinx)	oviduct/fallopian tube	salpingorrhaphia	suture of the fallopian tube	
somat- (soma)		body	somaticus	related to the body	
splanchn- (splanchnon)	internal organ	splanchnopathia	disease of internal organs	
spondyl- (spondylos)	vertebra	spondyloschisis	congenital fissure of the vertebra	
stomat- (stoma)		mouth	stomatorrhagia	bleeding from the mouth	

EXERCISES
1.	Match Latin names for anatomical structures with their corresponding  Greek equivalents: 
glandula
manus
vagina
labium
digitus
uterus
medulla
auris
nasus
viscera
cartilago
pes	splanchna
cheilos
rhis (rhin-)
chondros
cheir
myelos
dactylos
us (ot-)
aden
pus (pod-) 
hystera
kolpos	

2.	 Give Latin equivalents to the Greek terms: 
mys 		____________________ 			angeion 	____________________
osteon		____________________ 			fleps 		____________________
arthron	____________________			kardia		____________________
spondylos	____________________ 			nefros	 	____________________
gony	 	____________________ 			kystis		 ____________________
stoma 		____________________ 			glotta 		____________________
soma		____________________ 			mastos		 ____________________
kefale		____________________			derma		____________________

B)	Greek names for body fluids and other substances 
genitive stem
 (nom. sg. in brackets)	English translation	example	English translation	
haem-/haemat-/-aem- (haima)		krev	haemorrhagia
haematoscopia

hyperglycaemia	bleeding 
laboratory examination of the blood 
excess of sugar in the blood	
hydr- (hydor)	water, liquid	hydrothorax	excess of serous fluid in the pleural cavity	
lip- (lipos)	fat	lipoma	benign tumour composed of fat cells	
lith- (lithos)		stone	cholecystolithos	gallstone in the gallbladder	
py- (pyon)	pus	pyophtalmia	inflammation of the eye with pus secretion	
pyr- (pyr)	fire	hyperpyrexia	extremely elevated temperature	
ur- (uron)	urine	urologia	branch of medicine dealing with the urinary system	

C)	Greek names for physiological/pathological states and processes 
genitive stem
 (nom. sg. in brackets)	English equivalent	example	English equivalent	
aesth- (aisthanesthai)	to feel, perceive	anaesthesia

dysaesthesia	loss of pain sensation induced by drugs 
disagreeable, atypical sensation	
-algia (algos)	pain	cephalalgia	headache	
-lithiasis	stones	nephrolithiasis	presence of kidney stones in the kidney	
-lysis	relaxation, decomposition	spasmolysis	relaxation of spasms	
-odynia (odyne)	pain	mastodynia	pain in the breast	
-pathia (pathos)	unspecified disease	psychopathia	any disease of the mind	
-penia	lack, shortage	leucocytopenia	lack of white blood cells	
-phobia (fobos)	fear	claustrophobia	abnormal fear of being in narrow or enclosed spaces	
-plasia (plassein)	formation, development	hyperplasia	abnormal increase in cells in a tissue or organ	
-plegia (plege)	paralysis, palsy	gastroplegia	paralysis of gastric smooth muscles	
pnoe (pnein)	to breathe	eupnoe

dyspnoe

apnoe	normal breathing

laboured or difficult breathing
transient cessation of breathing	
-ptosis	falling down	metroptosis	downward displacement of the uterus	
-rrhagia	bleeding	enterorrhagia	bleeding from the intestine	
-rrhoea (rhoe)		flow, discharge	pyorrhoea
otorrhoea	discharge of pus 
inflammatory discharge from the ear	
-schisis	cleft, division	cheiloschisis	cleft lip	
-spasmus (spasmos)	spasm	bronchospasmus	bronchial spasm	
stas- (stasis)	standing	astasia
venostasis	inability to stand 
abnormal slowing or stoppage of the flow of blood in a vein	
ton- (tonos)	tension, pressure	hypertonia
hypotonia	high blood pressure
low blood pressure	
troph- (trefein)	to nourish	eutrophia

dystrophia

atrophia	normal/good nutrition
defective/faulty nutrition
decrease in the size of an organ or tissue	

EXERCISES
3.	Analyse the structure of the following terms. Translate the terms:
Example:  hypoglycaemia: hypo-glyc-aem-ia = abnormally low concentration of glucose in the blood
compound word	analysis	translation	
cephalalgia			
cholecystolithiasis			
myodystrophia			
neuropathia			
cardiophobia			
palatoschisis			
encephalodysplasia			
hydrorrhoea			
rhinorrhagia			
pancreatolysis			
nephroptosis			
pyodermatitis			
hypopyrexia			
haemostasis			

4.	Give Greek terms to the English definitions/equivalents. Use one-word terms only: 
___________________________________	bleeding from the stomach
___________________________________	stomach ache
___________________________________	spasm of the stomach
___________________________________	downward displacement of the stomach
___________________________________	inflammation of the stomach
___________________________________	loss of tone in the stomach musculature
___________________________________	unspecified disease of the stomach
___________________________________	paralysis of the stomach

D)	Greek names for quality and quantity features
genitive stem
 (nom. sg. in brackets)	English translation	example	English translation	
brady- (bradys)		slow	bradypnoe	abnormally slow breathing	
crypt- (kryptos)		hidden	cryptogenes	of unknown or obscure origin	
di- (dis)	twice	diplegia	paralysis of the identical part on both sides of the body	
erythr- (erythros)	red	erythroderma	abnormal redness of the skin	
-genes	having the origin in something	haematogenes	produced by, derived from, or originating in the blood	
hemi-		half	hemiplegia	paralysis affecting only one side of the body	
is- (isos)	same	isogenes	having the same origin	
leuc- (leukos)	white	leucoderma	white patches on the skin due to absence of pigment	
macr- (makros)	big, long	macroscopia	examination with the naked eye	
malac- (malakos)	soft, tender	osteomalacia	softening of bones	
megal- (megas)	large	megalocardia	abnormal enlargement of the heart	
melan- (melas)	black	melanoma	malignant, usually skin tumour composed of melanocytes	
micr- (mikros)	small	microscopia	investigation by use of a microscope	
mon- (monos)	one	monoplegia	paralysis of a single limb	
necr- (nekros)		dead	necrosis	death of living tissue	
neo- (neos)		new	neoplasma	abnormal growth of new tissue such as a tumour	
olig- (oligos)	rare, not numerous	oliguria	diminished urine production	
pan- (pas)	whole, all	panplegia	paralysis of the whole body	
poly- (polys)	numerous	polyarthritis	inflammation of several joints	
pseud- (pseudes)	false	pseudoanaemia	false anaemia 	
scler- (skleros)		hard	sclerosis 	hardening or thickening of organs, tissues and vessels	
tachy- (tachys)		rapid	tachypnoe	abnormally rapid breathing	
therm- (thermos)	warm	hypothermia	abnormally low body temperature	
tetra- (tettares)	four	tetraplegia	paralysis of all four limbs	
tri- (treis)	three	triceps	having three heads	
EXERCISES
5.	Match the words in the left column with their opposites in the right column:
brady
leukos
oligos
megalos
skleros
hemi-	melanos
malakos
pan
tachy
poly
mikros	

6.	Form terms from the given words with the corresponding meaning. Do not change the order of the words:
erythros + kytos + lysis		___________________________________ breaking down of red blood cells
isos + hydor + haima		___________________________________ normal amount of liquids in vessels
oligos + daktylos	___________________________________ presence of fewer than five
		digits on a hand or foot

pseudo + tumor	___________________________________ abnormality that resembles a	 
		tumour

poly + neuron + pathos		___________________________________ disease of several nerves

E)	Greek names for medical interventions and examinations
genitive stem
 (nom. sg. in brackets)	English translation	example	English translation	
-ectomia	excision, removal	cholecystectomia	surgical excision of the gallbladder	
-graphia	recording, image	hysterographia	graphic recording of the strength of uterine contractions in labour	
-metria	measurement	pupillometria	measurement of the diameter or width of the pupil of the eye	
-plastica	plastic operation	otoplastica	plastic surgery of the ear	
-scopia	examination	ophthalmoscopia	examination of the eye by means of the ophthalmoscope	
-stomia	opening	tracheostomia	creation of an opening into the trachea through the neck	
-therapia	therapy	chemotherapia	use of chemical agents in the treatment of a disease	
-tomia	incision, cutting	tympanotomia	incision of the tympanic membrane	

EXERCISE

7.	Use expressions in the table to form compound words with the corresponding meaning. 
tomia            ectomia        stomia
graphia     plastica      therapia
stomosis        scopia            metria	

a)	___________________________: measurement of dimensions of the head
b)	___________________________: treatment of a disease by means of ionizing radiation
c)	___________________________: surgical formation of an opening through the abdominal wall into the stomach
d)	___________________________: surgical excision of the gallbladder
e)	___________________________: endoscopic examination of the colon
f)	___________________________: surgical repair of a defect of the lip
ch) ___________________________: surgical incision of the appendix
g)	Electro-___________________________: recording of electrical impulses produced by the brain activity (EEG)
h)	___________________________: surgical connection of two parts of the intestine