1.2 Components and Categories of Medical Terms
Word Components
Medical terms can be defined by breaking down the term into word components and defining each component. These word components include prefixes, word roots, and suffixes.
- The prefix (P) appears at the beginning of the medical term and adds meaning to the word root.
- The word root (WR) is the core of many medical terms and refers to the body part or body system to which the term is referring.
- The suffix (S) is at the end of the medical term and usually indicates a procedure, condition, or disease. When defining a medical term, start the definition with the suffix. For example, consider the common medical condition tonsillitis. The word root “tonsil” refers to the tonsils, an anatomical part of the body found in the throat. The suffix “-itis” refers to inflammation. Therefore, the definition of the medical term tonsillitis is “inflammation of the tonsils.”
- Combining vowel (CV) is typically the letter “o” that helps with pronunciation. A combining vowel can connect a word root and a suffix or two word roots. When a word root is combined with a combining vowel, the word part is referred to as a combining form (CF). See examples of word components in Table 1.2a.
Table 1.2a. Components of Medical Terms
| Component | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Word Root (WR) | Core of the word | hepat/itis
hepat = liver |
| Prefix (P) | Attached to the beginning of the word root to alter its meaning | sub/hepatic
sub- = below |
| Suffix (S) | Attached to the end of a word root to alter its meaning | hepat/itis
-itis = inflammation |
| Combining Vowel (CV) | Typically, an “o” is used to assist with pronunciation | hepat/o/megaly |
| Combining Form (CF) | Word root with a combining vowel | hepat/o |
By defining the meaning of each component of a medical term, you can easily construct the full meaning of the term based on the meanings of its components. See an example of defining a medical term by its components in the following box.
Defining a Medical Term by its Components
The medical term arthropathy contains the following word components:
- The word root “arthr-” that refers to a joint
- The combining vowel “o” that creates the combining form arthro-
- The suffix “-pathy” that refers to a disease
When putting the meaning of these components together, the medical term arthropathy means “disease of a joint.”
Definitions of common prefixes, word roots, suffixes, and combining vowels will be discussed in greater detail in the following sections of this chapter.
Types of Medical Terms
Medical terms can be divided into three categories of terms, based on the origin of their components:
- Terms built from word components of Greek and Latin origin
- Terms NOT built from word components of Greek and Latin origin
- Terms that look like they are made from word parts but are not easily translated
Definitions of medical terms built from word components of Greek and Latin origin can be easily identified by analyzing the components, defining each component, and then building the meaning of the term based on the meaning of its components.
Medical terms NOT built from word components of Greek and Latin origin, or terms that are not easily translated, must be learned by memorizing and recalling the definitions. See Table 1.2b for examples of these categories of medical terms.
Table 1.2b. Types of Medical Terms
| Type | Origin | Examples | Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terms That Can Be Easily Built From Word Components | Word components of Greek and Latin origin that are combined to create literal translations | Hepatitis
Arthropathy
|
Definitions are identified by analyzing the word components, defining the word components, and then building the meaning of a medical term based on the meaning of its components |
| Terms NOT Easily Built From Word Components |
Eponyms (i.e., a disease or procedure named after someone who discovered it) | Parkinson’s disease – a disease first described by a physician named James Parkinson | Definitions are learned by memorizing and recalling definitions |
| Acronyms (i.e., an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word) | AIDS – an acronym that stands for the disease called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome | ||
| Modern language (i.e., terms created in a language currently used) | Post-traumatic stress disorder – a mental health diagnosis created by using the English language |
Defining Medical Terms by Breaking Down Components
Defining medical terms built from word components is easily accomplished by analyzing the components of the term, defining each component, and then building the overall definition of the medical term.
For example, see Table 1.2c for instructions on how the definition of the medical term “osteoarthropathy” can be identified by breaking down its components and defining them.
Table 1.2c. Technique for Defining Medical Terms Based on Their Components
| Technique | Instructions | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze Components | 1. Divide into word parts. 2. Label the word parts. 3. Underline and label each combining form. |
1. oste/o/arthr/o/pathy 2. oste = WR/; o = CV/; arthr = WR/; o = CV/; pathy = S 3. oste/o/arthr/o/pathy |
| Define Components | 1. Define each word part in the term. | 1. oste = bone; arthr = joint; pathy = disease |
| Build Definition | 1. Place word parts together to define the term. Begin by defining the suffix, and then move to the beginning of the term in the order they appear.
2. Add combining vowels to pronounce the term. |
1. Disease of the bone and joint 2. oste/o/arthr/o/pathy |
When breaking down medical terms into its components, place slashes between the components and a slash on each side of a combining vowel. Notice how the term is defined by beginning with the meaning of the suffix and then shifts to the beginning of the term with the meaning of the word parts in the order they appear. Additional examples of identifying definitions of medical terms by analyzing their components are provided in the following box.
Additional Examples of Identifying Definitions of Medical Terms by Analyzing Their Components
Example: Osteoarthritis
1. Analyze Components: oste/o/arthr/itis
2. Define Components:
oste is a word root (WR) that means “bone”
/o/ is a combining vowel (CV)
arthr is a word root (WR) that means “joint”
-itis is a suffix (S) that means “inflammation”
3. Build Definition: Inflammation of bone and joint
Example: Intravenous
1. Analyze Components: intra/ven/ous
2. Define Components:
intra- is a prefix (P) that means “within”
ven is a word root (WR) that means “vein”
-ous is a suffix (S) that means “pertaining to”
3. Build Definition: Pertaining to within a vein
Language Rules
Language rules are a good place to start when building foundational knowledge of medical terminology. Many medical terms are built from word parts and can be translated literally. At first, literal translations sound awkward. However, after you build a medical vocabulary and become proficient at using it, the awkwardness will slip away. Suffixes will no longer be stated and will be assumed. For example, the definition of intravenous can be condensed from “pertaining to within a vein” to “within the vein.” It should be noted that as with all language rules there are always exceptions, often referred to as “rebels.”
By the end of this book, by using these simple rules and processes, you will easily learn hundreds of medical terms.
Pronunciation
Pronouncing complex medical terms can be challenging. When learning how to pronounce medical terms, special marking above vowels indicates the proper pronunciation. When you see a macron (i.e., straight line) above the vowel, that means the vowel sound is long. A u-shaped symbol above a vowel indicates a short vowel sound. Additionally, capital letters indicate where to place the emphasis when pronouncing a word. See examples of pronunciation markings in the Table 1.2d. Try pronouncing each example out loud.
Table 1.2d. Pronunciation Guidelines
| Guidelines | Example |
|---|---|
| Markings indicate the proper phonetic sounds. | doctor (dŏk-tŏr) |
| A macron (a line above the letter) indicates a long vowel sound.
Examples: ā in “play” ē in “bee” ī in “wine” ō in “go” ū in “mule” |
prorate (prō-rāt) |
| A u-shaped mark above the vowel indicates a short sound.
Examples: ă in “mad” ĕ in “bet” ĭ in “tip” ŏ in “mop” ŭ in “cup” |
medical (mĕd-ĭ-căl) |
| Primary emphasis of pronunciation is indicated by capital letters. | debride (di-BRĒD)
dehydration (dē-hī-DRĀ-shŏn) |
Categories of Medical Terms
Medical terms can be classified into the following general categories of terms:
- Anatomical: Terms used to describe specific areas and movement of the body, as well as the relation of body parts to each other.
- An example of an anatomical term is medial, which describes the middle or direction toward the middle of the body.
- Disease and Disorder: Terms that describe deviation from the normal structural or functional state of an organism, generally associated with certain signs and symptoms.
- An example of a disease is bronchopneumonia, an infection of the bronchi in the lungs.
- Diagnostic/Procedural: Terms related to the process of identifying a disease, condition, or injury.
- An example of a diagnostic term is transrectal ultrasound, an ultrasound procedure used to diagnose prostate cancer.
- Therapeutic: Terms regarding the treating or curing of diseases.
- An example of a therapeutic term is nebulizer, which is a device that creates a mist used to deliver medication for respiratory treatment.
These categories will be used to discuss medical terms by body systems throughout the remaining chapters of the book.