Orientation and Word Building

The Heart of Medical Terminology

  • Medical Terminology—the study of terms used in healthcare occupations

  • Defining medical words requires

    • Breaking them into word parts (prefix, root, suffix)

    • ID and define the word parts

  • Medical Word Parts are similar to word parts learned in English

    • Root words = combining forms

    • Prefixes = prefixes

    • Suffixes = suffixes

  • All combining forms start with a medical root

    • Combining forms add to the root word the following three things:

      • A forward slash (/) to separate the root from the combining vowel

      • A combining vowel (usually an o, but occasionally an i or yi)

      • A final hyphen

      • ex. Derm/o-, Card/i-, Ox/y-, Hem/o-

  • Most medical words contain a combining form

    • Trich/o- till/o- -mania

      • The condition of pulling one’s hair in a frenzy

        • Trich/o-: hair

        • till/o-: to pull out

        • -mania: condition of a frenzy

  • Sometimes a medical word contains two or more combining forms, one right after the other

    • Gastr/o- enter/o- -itis

      • The inflammation or infection of the intestines and stomach

        • Gastr/o-: stomach

        • enter/o-: intestine

        • -itis: inflammation or infection

  • Prefixes

    • Found at beginning of word

    • Modify/clarify the medical meaning of the combining form

    • End w/ a hyphen

    • Limited list; learn them NOW

  • Suffixes

    • Word parts at the end of a word

    • Modify/clarify the medical meaning of the combining form

    • Begin w/ a hyphen

    • LONG list; still memorize

  • Defining a Word

    • Start w/ the suffix

    • Move to prefix (if there is one)

    • Both Suffix and Prefix will mody/describe what is happening to the combining form


Analyze and Define Words: Combining Form, Suffix, and Prefix

  • Divide the medical word into its prefix, combining form, and suffix

  • Define each word part

  • ex. _hyper-___/tens/o-_______/__-ion_____

    1. List the word: hypertension

    2. ID and Define parts

      1. Hyper- (prefix) above; more than normal

      2. Tens/o- (combining form) pressure; tension

      3. -ion (suffix) action or condition

    3. Put def together starting with suffix

      1. An action or condition of pressure that is more than normal

    4. Write a phonetic pronunciation (keys are in text starting on pg. 413???). Highlight or Bold accented syllable

    5. Use the word in a sentence showing good understanding of the meaning of the word

    6. DON’T use the dictionary def—define based on the meaning of the word parts

  • Writing Word Dissection Steps and Example

    • Steps

      1. The meaning of the suffix

      2. The meaning of the prefix

      3. The meaning of the combining form

      4. The definition according to the word parts

      5. The phonetic pronunciation

      6. The word in a sentence, in context

    • Example

      • Medical word is ‘prenatal’

      • 1) prefix is ‘pre’ (“before; in front of”)

      • 2) combining form (root) is ‘nat/o-’ (“birth”)

      • 3) suffix is ‘-al’ (“pertaining to”)

      • 4) Def is ‘pertaining to before birth’

      • 5) pree-NAY-tul

      • 6) Lisa saw her obstetrician for prenatal appointments weekly during her pregnancy to monitor the health of her baby.


Combining Form and Roots

  • Combining Form—a word root with a vowel added

    • Chem/o-: chemical or drug

  • Why add the vowel to a root?

    • Sometimes a suffix starts with a vowel (-itis) and sometimes it doesn’t (-scopy)

    • Word root arthr, combining form arthr/o- (joint)

      • ‘-itis’ can easily be added to form ‘arthritis’

      • ‘scopy’ not so much; must use combining form to get ‘arthroscopy’

  • When dissecting words, show the combining form (arthr/o-)

    • Drop the vowel if the suffix begins w/ a vowel when recombining the word (like ‘itis’)