CLAS 116 Unit 8: XXV-XXVIII

mammography

“imaging of the breast” mamm (Latin) + o (combining vowel) + graphy (Greek)

abdominoplasty

“reshaping of the abdomen” abdomin (Latin) + o (combining vowel) + plasty (Greek)

acanthosis nigricans

“blackening hyperplasia of the spinous layer of the skin” Greek nominative + Latin feminine adjective (participle)

heterochromia iridis

“the presence of two colors in different parts of the same iris” Greek nominative + Greek noun with Latin genitive ending (originally iridos)

neuroma cutis

“tumor made up of nerve cells located in the skin” Greek nominative + Latin genitive

raphe palati

“seam along the midline of the hard and soft palates” Greek nominative + Latin genitive

syndesmoses columnae vertebralis

“fibrous joints holding the vertebral column in one place” Greek nominative (pl. of syndesmosis) + Latin genitive + Latin adjective

appendectomy

“cutting out of the appendix” append (Latin) + ectomy (Greek)

actin-

ray

-agog-, -agogue

inducing the flow of, expelling

ambly-

dull, blunt

brachy-

short

campt-

bent

cel-, cell-, coel-, -coel

cavity (esp. in the abdomen)

-cele

hernia, swelling

cente-

to puncture

doch-

to take, to receive, to contain

dollch-

long

gloss-, glott-, glot-

tongue

hapl-

single

ichthy-

fish

ischi-

hip

lal-

to talk

mel-

limb

my-, mys-, myos-

muscle

nem-, nemat-

thread

pen-

deficiency, lack

pole-

to make

presby-

old

pyle-

pelvis (esp. of the kidney)

rhaph-, -rrhaph-

to sew, to suture

-rrhag-

excessive discharge

stear-, steat-

fat

stern-

chest, breastbone

xer-

dry

cardio

cardiovascular [cardi + o + vascul + ar]
“related to the heart and blood vessels” (esp. “cardiovascular exercise”)

cardiological [cardi + o + log + ic + al]
“related to the study of the heart” (e.g., “cardio unit”)

lipo

liposuction [lip + o + suct (Lat. “to suck”) + ion]
“surgical removal of fat deposits via vacuum suction”

mono

mononucleosis [mon + o + nucle + osis]
“an abnormally high number of mononuclear leukocytes in the blood”

polio

poliomyelitis [poli + o + myel + itis]
“infection of the gray matter of the spinal column or central nervous system”

strep

streptococcus [strept (Gk. “twisted”) + o + coccus (Gk. “berry”)]
“a type of bacterial organism with spherical clusters linked together in a chain-like (“twisted”) series” (esp. of the infection “strep throat”)

cancer

[Lat. cancer, cf. Gk. karkinos, “crab”]
so called because of the apparent resemblance of the spreading growth of tumorsto the legs of a crab (cf. “canker”)

capillary

[capill + ary]
used to describe blood vessels that are similar in shape to “little hairs”

hippocampus

[Gk. hippokampos, “sea horse”]
a convoluted elevation of gray matter in the brain that helps with short-term memory and spatial awareness; so called because of its supposed resemblance to a sea horse (in Greek mythology, hippokampos also denoted the horse-fish hybrids that provided transportation for sea gods)

lupus

[Lat. lupus, “wolf”]
name for a collection of disorders (e.g., lupus vulgaris, lupus erythematosus) usually marked by a discoloration of the skin, though may also include a range of other ailments; named for the apparently voracious nature of the affliction

diet

from Gk. diaita, “manner of life, behavior”; now used specifically for a manner of eating

intoxication

lit. “state of having ingested a poison”; now used primarily to refer specifically to drunkenness (though it can refer to other chemicals)

nausea

from Gk. nausia (or nautia), “sea sickness”; now used of any feeling of sickness, esp. with an inclination to vomit; an example of generalization

physician

related to Gk. physis (“nature,” from phy-, “to grow”); a physikos was a natural philosopher, one who inquired into the nature of the universe; now used of a medical doctor (cf. “physicist”)

plague

from Lat. plaga, “strike, blow”; now used to refer to an infectious disease, especially that caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis; an example of specification and intensification

flu

[colloquial shortening of Ital. influenza, from Lat. influentia, “influence”]an infectious viral disease so called from the assumption that epidemics could be caused by astrological conditions, influentia being usedto refer to the “flowing in” (in + flu + ence) of astral emissions that could effect changes in the world (cf. “lunatic,” a word used to describe someone with a mental ailment thought to be caused by the movements of the moon)

gonorrhea

[gon + o + rrhea, “flowing of seed”]a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, marked by urethritis and purulent discharge in men, but often asymptomatic in women; so called because the whitish discharge from male sex organs was assumed to be semen (hence its other name, “spermatorrhea”); in early accounts also written as Gomorrea from a perceived connection with the Biblical city of Gomorrah, famous for hypersexuality

hypochondria

[hypo + chondr + ia; cf. “hypochondriasis”]a disorder marked by a patient’s unfounded belief that he or she is suffering from some serious illness; so called from the notion that melancholy (or black bile, the humor responsible for depression and anxiety) originated in the area below the costal cartilages; “melancholy” and “humor” are themselves also examples of words that have changed in meaning over time (for more on humoral theory, see p. 293

hysteria

[hyster + ia, “diseased condition of the womb”]

a nebulous term used to describe various types of mental disturbance, originally a reference to a supposed physical disorder involving the dysfunction or displacement of the womb

malaria

[Ital. mala aria, “bad air,” from Lat. mal-, Gk. aer-]

an illness originally thought to be caused by the atmosphere around marshy areas; now used of a group of diseases caused by protozoans of the genus Plasmodium, transferred mostly via mosquito

pituitary

[Lat. pituita, “mucus, slime”]

once thought to secrete nasal mucus, the pituitary gland is now known to secrete important endocrine hormones; also called the “hypophysis” (“undergrowth, offshoot”) because it hangs down under the hypothalamus

acne

apparently a Byzantine corruption of the earlier Greek term acme (“high point, peak”); possibly selected to describe the “points” of pimples, though perhaps instead in reference to the “peak” of adolescence, the time at which pimples generally appear

lymph

from Latin lympha (originally limpa, “clear [liquid]”), an altered spelling arising from a supposed etymological connection with Greek nymphe (“nymph,” a mythological creature frequently associated with pools of water); used of the transparent fluid found in the lymphatic system, part of the circulatory system

migraine

from French migraine, derived ultimately from hemicrania (“half of the skull”), a headache characteristically affecting only one side of the head

palsy

an alteration through French of the original Greek form paralysis (para + ly + sis)

pica

[Lat. pica, “magpie”]
compulsive eating of non-nutritive substances, such as dirt or hair; named after the magpie, a bird in the crow family, because of its remarkably wide-ranging diet; probably analogous to the Greek kitta (“jay”), which was used in antiquity to denote cravings for strange food

polyp

[poly + pus]
originally a “many-footed” creature (hence the French for “octopus,” poulpe), but later used to indicate a nasal tumor; now “a protruding growth from any mucous membrane”

solar plexus

[sol + ar,Lat. plexus, “network”]
complex of nerves situated at the pit of the stomach, so called because of its “radiating” appearance, lit. “sun-like network” (also known as the plexus coeliacus, a phrase meaning “gastric network”; cf. Gk. coel-, “cavity”)

convex-

(Lat.) vaulted, rounded

hallux, halluc-

(Lat). big toe

hern-

(Lat.) rupture

lumb-

(Lat.) loin

plant-

(Lat.) sole of the foot

radix, radic-

(Lat.) root

scoli-

(Gk.) curved, bent

Achilles tendon

a powerful tendon that attaches the lower muscles of the legs to the heel; Thetis, the mother of the famous Homeric warrior Achilles, was said to have dipped her son into the River Styx while holding him by the heel so that he could become immortal, but as his heel was never fully immersed in the water, he died when struck by an arrow in this unprotected area (also called by the more descriptive title “calcaneal tendon,” i.e., “tendon of the heel”)

atlas (vertebra)

the first or uppermost cervical vertebra, which articulates with the occipital bone above and supports the skull; so named from Atlas, a mythic giant born from the Titan Iapetus, responsible for holding up the vault of the heavens (in some accounts, a punishment for his involvement in the rebellion of the Titans against the Olympian gods)

caput Medusae

dilated cutaneous veins around the umbilicus; so called because of a perceived resemblance between the veins and the head of the snake-haired Medusa (note the genitive singular Medusae; see p. 129)

hymen

a membranous fold that partially or wholly occludes the external orifice of the vagina; the Greek word hymen, “membrane,” may be of the same origin as the name Hymen, the Greek and Roman god of marriage, although this etymology is disputed

mons Veneris

the mons pubis (“pubic mound”) of a woman, i.e., a rounded, fleshy prominence over the pubic bone; lit. “mound of Venus,” named after the Roman goddess of love and sex, corresponding generally to the Greek Aphrodite (Veneris is the genitive singular of the third-declension noun Venus)

chimerism

in genetics, the presence of cells of different origin in an individual, whether by mutation, transplant, or some other process; named from the chimera, a hybrid monster depicted as an amalgam of a lion, goat, and serpent

gigantism

abnormal overgrowth or excess in stature, named from the Giants (Lat. and Gk. gigantes), a race of monstrous creatures that were born from Gaia (“Earth”) and drops of blood falling from the castrated genitals of Ouranos (“Sky”); also spelled “giantism”

hermaphrodite

a person or animal with both male and female sex organs, so called because of the mythical figure Hermaphroditus, the son of Hermes and Aphrodite who became conjoined with the nymph Salmacis, after which he possessed a dual sexuality

narcissism

excessive self-interest or self-love; named from Narcissus, a beautiful young man who saw his reflection in a stream and was so transfixed by the sight that he could not move; depending on the version of the story he then committed suicide, or fell into the spring and drowned, or was transformed into a flowe

panic

acute, extreme anxiety, often leading to abnormal thinking or behavior; lit. “pertaining to Pan”; the Greek god Pan presided over mountains, forests, caves, and other places in which strange sounds could be heard, and the fear caused by such noises was associated directly with the god

priapism

persistent abnormal erection of the penis, usually without any sexual desire; Priapus was a Greek god of fertility and sexuality marked by a constant ithyphallic (i.e., erect) state; he was also associated generally with prosperity (statuettes of erect penises were frequently employed as good-luck charms)

satyriasis

hypersexuality in a male; lit. “the condition of being a satyr,” a hybrid (often ithyphallic) creature associated with Dionysus and known for constant cravings for wine and sex; cf. “nymphomania,” hypersexuality in a woman

venereal

related to or transmitted by sexual contact (esp. of disease); lit. “having to do with Venus”

ammonia

a colorless, water-soluble alkaline gas that can be toxic in high concentrations; so called because it was emitted by sal ammoniacus (“salt of Ammon”), a salt obtained by the Romans near the temple of Jupiter Ammon in Egypt (the Egyptian deity Amun was king of the gods and was therefore associated with the Greek Zeus and the Roman Jupiter)

aphrodisiac

a drug that increases sexual libido; from a Greek word meaning “having to do with Aphrodite,” the goddess of love and sex

atropine

a poisonous alkaloid occurring naturally in deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna); called by the name of Atropos (“Inflexible”), one of the Greek Fates, the goddesses responsible for apportioning to humans their respective lifespans

mercury

a metallic element that is a silvery white liquid at room temperature; named from Mercury, the Roman messenger god presiding over commerce, travel, and boundaries (identified with the Greek Hermes); some elements known in antiquity were associated with the planets (e.g., the Sun and gold, Mars and iron), and likewise mercury was associated with the god/planet of the same name, perhaps because of its mobility (cf. the alternative name “quicksilver”); the Greek name hydrargyros (“liquid silver”) gives the element its symbol, Hg

morphine

the principal alkaloid of opium, used mainly as a narcotic analgesic; so called from Morpheus, the mythological son of Hypnos (“Sleep”), on account of his ability to induce dreams

neptunium

a radioactive element obtained by splitting uranium atoms with neutrons; so called because it came directly after uranium in the periodic table, and Neptune is one planet farther out from Uranus (uranium itself had been named after the newly discovered planet; the same process was also used to label plutonium, the next element in the table after neptunium)

sphingosine

an amino alcohol serving as a major base of sphingolipids in mammals; some sources claim an etymology from sphinc- (“to bind”), but the actual namesake is the Sphinx (Gk. Sphinx, Sphing-), a hybrid female monster famous for her riddles; sphingosine was so called in 1881 because of “the many enigmas it presented to the inquirer”

coron-

(Lat.) crown

farc-, farct-

(Lat.) to stuff, to cram

isch-

(Gk.) to suppress

lu-, lut-

(Lat.) to wash

mitr-

(Gk.) bandage, waistband

ram-

(Lat.) branch

thromb-

(Gk.) clot

Eustachian tube

a channel that establishes the connection between the nasopharynx and the tympanic cavity and serves to adjust the pressure in the cavity to external pressure; named after the Italian anatomist Eustachius (16th century)

Fallopian tube

a long, slender tube that extends from the upper lateral cornu of the uterus to the region of the ovary of the same side; named after the Italian anatomist Fallopius (16th century)

Galen vein

either of the internal cerebral veins or the great cerebral vein; named after Galen, the great Greek physician of the 2nd century AD

islets of Langerhaus

microscopic structures scattered throughout the pancreas and comprising its endocrine part (the beta cells of this group produce insulin, from the Latin word insula, “island”); named after 19th-century German anatomist Paul Langerhans, who was the first to describe them