Chapter 20 - Ayers Bioscientific Terminology

licorice

GLYC- "sweet"

-RRHIZ- "root"

migraine

HEMI- "half"

CRANI- "cranium"

paralysis

first entered English as palsy

date

from Greek DACTYL- "finger"

hence the term "finger dates"

dropsy

from Greek hydrops (HYDR-) "abnormal accumulation of serous fluid ('water')," "edema"

sciatica

from Greek ischiadikos (ISCHI- "hip")

elixir

apparently from Greek XER- "dry"

-el coming from Arabic definite article al, added when the word, along with much else of Greek science, passed to the Arabs

frenzy

from Greek phrenitis (PHREN- "mind") "inflammation of the brain"

almond

from Greek AMYGDAL- "almond"

ague

from Latin febris acuta "violent, acute fever"

grotto

from Greek CRYPT- "hidden"

gillyflower

from Greek karyophyllon, literally "nut-leaf"

ALEX-

to ward off

ANTR-

cavity, sinus

BRONCH(I)-

air tube

CHLAMYD-

cloak, envelope

CHY-

CHYM-, CHYL-

to pour

juice

CONDYL-

knob, knuckle

CORM-

trunk of a tree or body

GON(I)-

angle

HAL-

salt

PALI(N)-

again, back

POIKIL-

varied, irregular, mottled

PYCN-, PYKN-

thick, frequent

PYL(E)-

gate, entrance

SPERM(A)-, SPERMAT-

seed, semen

SPHEN-

wedge

SPIR-

coil

SYRING- (SYRINX)

pipe, tube

TA-

to stretch

TON-

stretching, tension

TRACHEL-

neck