1
Autumn Term 2019/2020 Handout 2
PART I : EXERCISES
1. Read aloud. Try to figure out the meaning of the terms:
• vertebra, ante, palpebra, medulla, vena, trachea, venenum (2)1
• sine, pilula, vitrum, inter, spina, rima, vinum, saliva, tibia (3)
• post, anodus, oleum, prostata, pro, processus, dolorosus (4)
• apud, gutta, glandula, uterus, urina, ruptura, natura, digitus (5)
• aegrotus, praematurus, lagoena, dyspnoe, diploe, proerythroblastos, coenzymum (6)
• felleus, balneum, areola, aorta, interosseae, pleura, pyogenes, euryopia (9)
• celulla, cibus, caecum, cystis, costa, cutis, fasciculus, clavicula, fractura (11)
• coccygeus, occipitalis, oscilococcinum, accessorius, saccus, vaccina (12)
• caecum, caeci, bucca, buccae, thorācica, thoracicae (13)
• functio, articulatio, vitium, insufficientia, sanatio, ostium, combustio (16)
• aqua, liquor, quadratus, lingua, sanguis, unguentum, unguis, inguinalis (17)
• resistentia, incisura, spongiosus, basis, crisis, nasalis, pulsus, morsus, mensis, plasma (18)
• comissura, scissum, accessorius, ossa, ossium, hypoglossus, tussis, pertussis(19)
2. Identify the declension of the following nouns based on their Genitive forms:
ex: caput, capitis - 3
coxa, coxae_ _ _ cervix, cervicis_ _ _ dens, dentis _ _ _ hypogastrium, hypogastrii_ _
oculus, oculi_ _ _ sulcus, sulci_ _ _ crus, cruris_ _ _ processus, processus_ _ _
arcus, arcus_ _ _ coccyx, coccygis_ _ _ bucca, buccae_ _ _ metatarsus, metatarsi_ _ _
ilia, ilium_ _ _ fibula, fibulae_ _ _ pubes, pubis_ _ _ antebrachium, antebrachii_ _ _
axilla, axillae_ _ _ hallux, hallucis_ _ _ patella, patellae_ _ _ capilli, capillorum_ _ _
thorax, thoracis_ _ _ nasus, nasi_ _ _ os, ossis_ _ _ phalanx, phalangis_ _ _
tarsus, tarsi_ _ _ humerus, humeri_ _ _ collum, colli _ _ _ symphysis, symphysis_ _
facies, faciei_ _ _ corpus, corporis _ _ _ femur, femoris_ _ _ clavicula, claviculae_ _ _
1
The numbers in parentheses refer to the pronunciation tracks in the study materials in IS.
2
Autumn Term 2019/2020 Handout 2
3. Identify the stem of the following nouns based on their dictionary entries:
ex: caput, capit-is, n. atlas, ntis, m. linea, ae, f. foramen, inis, n.
axis, is, f. sternum, i, n. crus, ris, n. manubrium, ii, n.
sinus, us, m. eminentia, ae, f. nodus, i, m. articulatio, onis, f.
ischium, ii, n. tibia, ae, f. tendo, inis, m. antebrachium, ii, n.
maxilla, ae, f. pollex, icis, m. larynx, gis, f. cornu, us, n.
bronchus, i, m. cortex, icis, m. os, oris, n. margo, inis, m.
4. Use the declension table to form plural forms of the following words. Proceed in 3 steps: 1)
write down full Genitive, 2) identify the stem and the declension, 3) attach the ending to the
stem (based on the table). Gender matters, too!
ex: caput, itis, n.
gen. sg. capit-is
nom. pl. capit-a
cervix oculus sulcus
crus arcus bucca metatarsus
fibula hallux os (bone) antebrachium
axilla tarsus patella genu
*Notice the common features of the words belonging to particular declensions!
3
Autumn Term 2019/2020 Handout 2
5. Form non-agreed attributes to name parts of anatomical structures:
head of rib
neck of femur
body of clavicle
*scapular notch
arch of aorta
*i.e. “notch of scapula” (some English terms do not use “of” phrase, even if there is Genitive in Latin; instead,
an adjective may be used in English; however, we still name a part of scapula; therefore, scapula must stand in
Genitive)
6. Form prepositional phrases by changing the case endings of the given nouns depending on
the particular preposition. Use the declension table:
sub (= under)
(location)
shoulder blade skin tongue
sub scapula
sub (= under)
(direction)
eye rib kneecap
sub costam
in (= inside) tooth mouth bone
in (= into) skull orbit hypogastrium
ad (= towards) collar bone chest belly
ad abdomen
ex (= out of) ear nose finger
4
Autumn Term 2019/2020 Handout 2
GRAMMAR
AGREED ATTRIBUTE
noun + adjective; a noun comes usually first in Latin
the adjective has to agree with the noun it refers to in gender, number, and case; hence agreed attribute
In other words, the form of an adjective is always dependent on which noun it describes; for instance, if we
want to describe a female noun in Genitive singular form, the adjective also has to be in female Genitive
singular form. Unlike English, this allows for loose word order, the adjective does not have to stand right after
the noun but can be used later in the phrase without a change in the meaning. The case ending always expresses
to which noun the adjective belongs:
e.g. fractura complicata humeri dextri = fractura humeri dextri complicata
BUT!!! an adjective does not have to belong to the same declension as the noun it modifies; thus, it does not
always have the same case ending as the noun it describes
e.g. left fibula (fibula sinistra), complicated fracture (fractura complicata), fracture of the left fibula
(fractura fibulae sinistrae), human body (corpus humanum)
NON-AGREED ATTRIBUTE
noun (in Nominative form) + noun in Genitive form; equivalent to English “of” phrases (anatomy:
describing parts of structures)
e.g. fracture of rib (fractura costae), thorn of shoulder blade (spina scapulae)
REMEMBER! Latin Genitive form is equivalent to English noun followed by ’s or standing
after of, e.g. caput tibiae = head of tibia / tibia’s head
PREPOSITIONS
express spatial, temporal, or causal relations; each preposition goes together either with nouns in Accusative
or Ablative; some prepositions may be used with both cases (BUT with different meanings!)
Accusative prepositions Ablative prepositions
in (= into [direction]) in (= inside [location])
sub (= under [direction]) sub (= under [location])
ad (= towards) e(x) (= out of)
propter (= due to/because of) a(b) (= away from)
post (= after) cum (= with)
ante (= before) sine (= without)
prope (= near) pro (= for)
contra (= against)
5
Autumn Term 2019/2020 Handout 2
Latin 1st
DECLENSION
The first declension includes nouns that have Nominative ending -A, Genitive ending -AE, and mostly
FEMALE gender.
Typical features:
Nom. Sg. = Abl. Sg.
Gen. Sg. = Nom. Pl.
Acc. Sg in all declensions ends in -m
Acc. Pl. in all declensions ends in -s
*A specific group of nouns are names of specialists that have feminine endings but are of male gender,
e.g. oculista, oculistae m. [ophthalmologist]; dentista, dentistae, m. [dentist]; pharmacista, ae, m.
[pharmacist] etc.; and names of muscles, e.g. antagonista, ae, m. [antagonistic muscle, it acts in opposition
to the specific movement generated by agonistic muscle]; agonista, ae, m. [agonistic muscle]. These words
are used rarely in medical terminology.
Greek 1st
DECLENSION
In both anatomical nomenclature and clinical terminology, there are some words of Greek origin which
have been included into the Latin declension system. In some cases, they keep their original Greek endings,
in others, they take over the Latin ones. The Greek nouns ending in -E in Nominative singular are all
females, they have a special set of endings in singular (i.e. endings different from vena-like Latin words).
E.g. diploe, es, f.; dyspnoe, es, f. The Greek nouns ending in –ES in Nominative singular are masculines
and their case endings are identical with those of the Latin vena-like words (apart from Nominative sg.).
There are only two clinical terms falling into this category: diabetes, ae, f.; and ascites, ae, f. Considering
their meaning, the Greek 1st
declension do not appear in plural forms.
Number Case model word VENA
Sg 1. vena
2. venae
4. venam
6. vena
Pl 1. venae
2. venarum
4. venas
6. venis
Number Case model word DIABETES model word SYSTOLE
Sg 1. diabetes systole
2. diabetae systoles
4. diabetam systolen
6. diabeta systole
6
Autumn Term 2019/2020 Handout 2
VOCABULARY
ANATOMICAL NOMENCLATURE CLINICAL and PHARMACOLOGICAL TERMINOLOGY
aorta, ae, f. aorta acne, es, f. acne
apertura, ae, f. opening, aperture allergia, ae, f. allergy
arteria, ae, f. artery anaemia, ae, f. an(a)emia
columna, ae, f. column angina, ae, f. angina
crista, ae, f. crest, ridge ascites, ae, m. abnormal accumulation of fluid
in abdomen
diploe, es, f. the spongy layer in flat bones causa, ae, f. cause, reason
fascia, ae, f. fascia cera, ae, f. wax
fissura, ae, f. fissure, elongated cleft colica, ae, f. colic
fossa, ae, f. hole, depression cura, ae, f. care
glandula, ae, f. gland diabetes, ae, m. diabetes
incisura, ae, f. notch diastole, es, f. diastole
lamina, ae, f. membrane, lamina diarrhoe, es, f. diarrhoea
linea, ae, f. line diphtheria, ae, f. diphtheria
lingua, ae, f. tongue dyspnoe, es, f. shortness of breath, difficult
breathing
mandibula, ae, f. lower jaw epilepsia, ae, f. epilepsy
maxilla, ae, f. upper jaw fractura, ae, f. fracture
medulla, ae, f. bone marrow haemorrhagia, ae, f. bleeding
palpebra, ae, f. eyelid hernia, ae, f. hernia, protrusion of an organ
out of its place
raphe, es, f. suture (with soft tissues) insufficientia, ae, f. insufficiency
rima, ae, f. fissure, free space
between
lagoena, ae, f. bottle
sclera, ae, f. sclera, outer coat of
the eyeball
olla, ae, f. gallipot, cup
spina, ae, f. spine, thorn pasta, ae, f. paste
sutura, ae, f. suture (with bones) pneumonia, ae, f. pneumonia, lung infection
tonsilla, ae, f. tonsil ruptura, ae, f. rupture
tunica, ae, f. membrane scarlatina, ae, f. scarlet fever
valvula, ae, f. valve scatula, ae, f. box
vena, ae, f. vein tabuletta, ae, f. pill
vesica, ae, f. bladder therapia, ae, f. treatment
7
Autumn Term 2019/2020 Handout 2