1 курс / Латинский язык / Латинский_язык_и_основы_медицинской_терминологии_Жура_В_В_,_Мартинсон

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UNIT 4

WORD BUILDING: PREFIXATION

Prefixation

Prefixation which is joining the prefix to the root does not change the meaning of the word but merely adds a semantic component specifying either spatial localization (above, below, ahead, behind), or direction (approaching, receding), or time reference (preceding or following something); it may also indicate the absence of something or negate it.

Prefixes developed mainly from prepositions, therefore, their direct meanings are similar to the meanings of the corresponding prepositions.

A few prefixes also developed secondary or transferred meanings. Thus, the Greek prefix para- acquired the transferred meaning ‘departing or deviating from something, inconsistency between the manifestations and the essence of a phenomenon’, e.g. para-nasalis – paranasal but para-mnesia (Gr. mnesia – memory) – the general name for distorted or false recollections; paratyphus – the general name for human infectious diaseases caused by a certain kind of Salmonella bacteria and characterized by clinical manifestations similar (!) to the symptoms of typhoid fever.

In descriptive morphological names Latin prefixes are used in their direct meanings. In the terms denoting pathological conditions, diseases, functional disturbances of organs, etc, prefixes are used in their secondary meanings: e.g. anat.: hypo-gastrium (Gr. hypo- below, under) – hypogastrium; path. physiology: hypo-tonia (Gr. hypo- below, under the norm) – hypotony, decreased tone of a muscle or of muscular layer of the hollow organ.

Greek and Latin prefixes are in wide use in various subsystems of medical terminology and biology. Moreover, Latin prefixes are predominant in anatomical terms while Greek prefixes are abundant in the terms of pathological anatomy, physiology, clinical subjects.

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As a rule, Latin prefixes are joined to Latin roots. However, there are some exceptional cases when the so-called hybrid words are built, e. g. the words epifascialis (epifascial), endo-cervicalis (endocervical) include Greek prefixes and Latin derivational stems. When building terms with the help of prefixes whole words are used as derivational stems.

Antonymic Prefixes

Antonymic prefixes are those whose meanings are opposite, e. g. Lat. intra- (inside) and extra- (outside); Gr. endo- (inside) and ecto- or exo- (outside), etc.

Lat. com (con)-

together with, with

Gr. syn(sym)-

NOTE. When prefixes are joined to stems prefixes themselves may be modified being affected by the initial sound of the stem. It is known as assimilation, i.e. when the final consonant in a prefix assimilates (becomes similar) fully or partly with the initial sound of the derivational stem, e.g. the prefix ad- before the initial consonants c, f, g, n, p is fully transformed into ac-, af-, ag-, an-, ap-. The final n in prefixes before b, p turns into m (com-pressor ← con- (together with, with); sym-biosis ← syn- (tohether with, with)) or fully assimilates before the consonants l, m, r.

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Words Derived by Means of Both Suffixes and Prefixes

A number of words were built by joining both a suffix and a prefix to the stem. This pattern was highly productive both in ancient Greece (hypo-gastrium, mes-enter-ium) and in later periods (mesometrium, mesovarium, perichondrium, periodontium, paracolpium, endocardium, pericardium, epineurium , etc.).

The most common Latin and Greek prefixes are listed in Vocabulary Extension 4.

EXERCISES

1.Single out derivational combining forms. Explain the meaning of the terms:

1.Infraorbitalis, supraclavicularis, infratrochlearis, supratrochlearis, interclavicularis, interosseus, intralobularis, intramuscularis, parasternalis, episternalis, suprasternalis, subcorticalis, subpleuralis, subduralis (about brain coat), epitympanicus, endocervicalis, antenatalis (Lat. natus birth), postnatalis, intranatalis, interalveolaris, subcutaneus, extrapulmonalis, extrapyramidalis, paravesicalis, submandibularis, retrobuccalis, premolaris, adducens (Lat. duco to draw), abducens, abductio, praeglaucoma, praecancerosus, perivascularis.

2.Adaptatio (aptus - apt), readaptatio, aggravatio (gravis heavy) – aggravation (of a disease), applicatio (applico apply), exhumatio (Lat. humus ground, soil) - exhumation (digging out a corpse), decompensatio, desactivatio, absorptio (Lat. sorbeo absorb), adsorptio, praemorbidus (Lat. morbus disease), exenteratio seu eventratio - extracting visceral organs, exarticulatio – exarticulation, removing a limb from a joint, exstirpatio (Lat. stirps lower part of the trunk with roots) – eradication, complete excision of an organ; synphalangia, dementia (Lat. mens, mentis thought, intellect) - dementia; diastŏle - rhythmic dilation of heart cavities, systŏle - rhythmic contraction of the heart, diathermia - heating of deep lying tissues, invasio (vado head for), disseminatio (semino sow), endemia (Gr. demos region, country, people) – constant morbidity in a certain area caused by a certain disease.

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3.Empyema (Gr. pyon - pus) - collection of pus in a natural cavity; praesenilis, praeventivus – preventive; prodromalis (Gr. prodromos forerunner) – betokening; progrediens (gradior go, set out) – progressing; prolongatus – prolonged; pronephros – pronephros; metanephros - metanephros; metaplasia (Gr. plasis formation, generation) – persistent transformation of one type of tissue into another.

4.Metathalămus, hypothalămus, epithalămus, epitympănum, epiphўsis (Gr. phyo grow), diaphўsis, metaphўsis, apophўsis, decapitatio (in obstetrics - embryotomy), decompressio (compressio - compression), eutopia (Gr. topos place, site) - normal position, location of an organ, dystopia, revaccinatio, reinfectio, regeneratio, degeneratio, antagonismus (Gr. agon struggle), invalĭdus (valĭdus strong), conjunctiva, collectivus.

2.Translate the following adjectives:

Submandibular, suboccipital, hypoglossal (nerve), sublingual (duct), interarticular, intercostal, intermuscular, retrosternal, retrobuccal, extraperitoneal, intramuscular, supramarginal, suprathoracic, intrathoracic, subtemporal, intervertebral, retroperitoneal, retropharyngeal, intracapsular, suprarenal.

VOCABULARY EXTENSION 4

Greek Prefixes

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NB! When combined with the names of different organs the prefixes endo-, peri- , para- mean their coatings.

endo- inner coating, e. g. endometritis (inflammation of the uterine inner coating); peri- outer coating, e.g. perimetritis (inflammation of the uterine outer coating); para- tissue near the organ, e.g. parametrium (the tissue near the uterus).

NB! anamnesis - finding out the events preceding a disease by questioning patients, taking past history; catamnesis - case history of the patient after the treatment.

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UNIT 5

REVISION

Self-check assignments

I.Answer the questions:

1.Which prefixes have the meaning matching the pictures below:

4.Which is the inner embryonic layer (entoderma, mesoderma, ectoderma)?

5.Which is the outer layer of cardiac walls (endocardium, myocardium, epicardium)?

6.Which prefix means ‘resuming or repeating an action’?

7.Explain the meaning of the terms: synostosis, synchondrosis, syndesmosis, symphysis?

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