Greek and Latin in Scientific Terminology, Lecture 11

Andrew Dunning

20 November 2014

Roots, Part I

CAUL-

  • ‘stem’, ‘stalk’ (caulis)
  • CAULI-COL-ous, applies to fungi growing on plant stems; CAUL-ine, pertaining to a stem (applies to leaves growing on the upper portion of a stem; FILI-CAUL-ine, with a threadlike stem

FLAV-

  • ‘yellow’ (flavus)
  • FLAV-edo, yellowness of the skin; FLAV-in, one of a group of yellow pigments isolated from various plant and animal sources

FLOCC-

  • ‘tuft, as of wool’ (floccus)
  • FLOCCUS, a tuft of wooly hairs on a plant; FLOCC-ose, covered with woollike tufts (applies to bacterial growths)

LABI-, LABR-

  • ‘lip’ (labium or labrum)
  • LABIUM, lip, liplike structure; LABIO-GRESS-ion, location of the anterior teeth in front of their normal position

LAT-

  • ‘to bear’, ‘to carry’
  • re-LATE; e-LAT-ed; trans-LATE; ab-LAT-ion, removal of a part by amputation, excision, etc.

LEV-

  • ‘light’ (in weight) (levis)
  • LEV-ity; LEV-er; e-LEV-at-or, an instrument for lifting a part or for extracting the roots of teeth; al-LEVI-at-ion, the modification of symptoms, the lessening of pain

LIGN-

  • ‘wood’ (lignum)
  • LIGNE-ous, woody, of the nature of wood; LIGN-in, a complex substance which, associated with cellulose, causes the thickening of plant cell walls, and so forms wood

LIQU-

  • ‘to be liquid’
  • LIQUE-FACT-ion, conversion of material into liquid form

LUMIN-

  • ‘light’ (lumen)
  • LUMEN, the cavity of a tubular part of an organ, or the central cavity of a plant cell; SONO-LUMIN-esc-ence, the emission of light by various liquids when traversed by high-frequency sound or ultrasonic waves

MAN(U)-

  • ‘hand’ (manus)
  • MANU-FACT-ure, MANU-SCRIPT; BI-MAN-ous, having two hands (applies to certain primates); MANU-DUCT-ion, operation performed by the hands in surgical and obstetric practice

NIGR-

  • ‘black’ (niger)
  • NIGR-esc-ent, nearly black, blackish

OSS-

  • ‘bone’ (os)
  • OSS-icle, any small bone; DERMO-OSSI-FIC-at-ion, a bone formed in the skin

PROXIM-

  • ‘near’, ‘nearest’ (proximus, ‘nearest the body’)
  • PROXIM-ate, nearest, immediate (as proximate cause); PROXIM-al, in dentistry, surface of a tooth next to the adjacent tooth; PROXIMO-LABI-al, pertaining to proximal and labial surfaces of a tooth

SINISTR-

  • ‘left’ (sinister)
  • SINISTER; SINISTRO-TORS-ion, a twisting or turning toward the left; SINISTR-in, a levorotatory polysaccharide

SPIN-

  • ‘thorn’, ‘spine’ (spina)
  • SPIN-ul-ate, covered with spines; SPIN-ul-at-ion, a defensive spiny covering, or the state of being spinulate

STIP-, STIPIT-

  • ‘stalk’ (stipes)
  • STIPIT-ate, stalked; STIP-ule, one of two membranes or foliaceous processes developed at the base of a leaf petiole; BI-STIP-ul-ate, provided with two stipules

STRAT-

  • ‘layer’ (stratum)
  • BI-STRAT-ose, with cells arranged in two layers; STRAT-iform, applies to fibrocartilage coating osseous grooves

TUM-

  • ‘to swell’
  • TUM-esc-ent, swollen, enlarged; de-TUM-esc-ence, subsidence of a swelling (esp. of erecto-sexual organs following orgasm)

VARI-

  • ‘varied’, ‘changing’, ‘spotting’ (varius)
  • VARI-ous; VARI-ety; VARI-egate-d, marked with different colours; VARI-CELLA, chickenpox

VENTR-

  • ‘belly’ (venter)
  • VENTRI-LOQU-ism; VENTR-icle, a cavity or chamber, as of the heart or brain; BI-VENTR-al, applies to muscles of the biventer type (= digastric, each of a pair of muscles which run under the jaw and act to open it, from GAST- ‘belly’ because the muscle has two fleshy parts or ‘bellies’ at an angle, connected by a tendon)

Roots, Part II

ARC(U)-

  • ‘bow’, ‘arch’ (arcus)
  • ARC-ade; ARCI-FER-ous, applies to the pectoral arch of toads; ARC-iform, shaped like an arch or a bow; ARCU-alia, small, cartilaginous pieces, dorsal and central, fused or free, on the vertebral column of fishes

CALCAR-

  • ‘spur’ (calcar)
  • CALCAR-ine, a fissure extending to the hypocampal gyrus on the medial surface of the cerebral hemisphere; CALCAR-ate, having a spur or spur-like point
  • NB: Compare calx, calc- ‘lime’.

CING-, CINCT-

  • ‘to bind’, ‘to gird’
  • pre-CINCT; suc-CINCT; CING-ulum, a girdle or the waist; sub-CING-ulum, the lower lip part of the cingulum of rotifers; CING-ul-ectomy, the surgical removal of the cingulate gyrus (in the brain)

CLIV-

  • ‘slope’ (clivus)
  • pro-CLIV-ity; de-CLIVE, a lower or descending part; CLIVUS, a slope; post-CLIV-al, the fissure behind the clivus of the cerebellum

CUSPID-

  • ‘point’ (cuspis)
  • CUSP, a pocket or fold in the wall of the heart or a major blood vessel that fills and distends if the blood flows backwards, so forming part of a valve; a cone-shaped prominence on the surface of a tooth; a sharp rigid point of a leaf; bicuspid, having two cusps or points; a tooth with two cusps, especially a human premolar tooth; bi-CUSP-id, having two cusps, as bicuspid teeth, or as the mitral valve of the heart

FASCI-

  • ‘band’ (fascia)
  • FASCIA, a thin sheath of fibrous tissue enclosing a muscle or other organ; FASCI-ated, showing abnormal fusion of parts or organs, resulting in a flattened ribbon-like structure; FASCI-ola, a narrow colour-band; FASC-itis, inflammation of a fascia

FERR-

  • ‘iron’ (ferrum)
  • FERR-ic, relating to iron; FERR-ule, a ring or cap, typically a metal one, which strengthens the end of a handle, stick, or tube and prevents it from splitting or wearing; FERR-ous, containing or consisting of iron; FERRI-HAEMO-GLOB-in, haemoglobin in which the iron is normally in a ferrous state

FLAGELL-

  • ‘whip’, ‘whip-like appendage’ (flagellum)
  • FLAGELL-ate; FLAGELL-um, a slender thread-like structure, especially a microscopic whip-like appendage which enables many protozoa, bacteria, spermatozoa, etc. to swim; FLAGELL-in, the structural protein of bacterial flagella

GLABR-

  • ‘hairless’, ‘smooth’ (glaber)
  • GLABR-ous, free from hair or down, smooth (chiefly of the skin or a leaf); GLAB-ella, the smooth part of the forehead above and between the eyebrows

LIEN-

  • ‘spleen’ (lien)
  • LIEN-al, pertaining to the spleen (applies to an artery, vein, or nerve plexus); GASTRO-LIEN-al, pertaining to the stomach and spleen

LONG-

  • ‘long’ (longus)
  • LONGI-tude; LONGI-CORN, having long antennae, former term for longhorn beetle; LONGI-MAN-ous, long-handed

NAS-

  • ‘nose’ (nasus)
  • NAS-al; NAS-al-ize; NASO-GASTR-ic, reaching or supplying the stomach via the nose; NASO-PHARYNX, the upper part of the pharynx, connecting with the nasal cavity above the soft palate

NUC-

  • ‘nut’ (nux)
  • NUC-leus; NUC-le-ase, an enzyme that cleaves the chains of nucleotides in nucleic acids into smaller units; NUC-ellus, the central part of an ovule, containing the embryo sac; NUC-le-olus, a small dense spherical structure in the nucleus of a cell during interphase.

OS-, OR-

  • ‘mouth’ (os)
  • OR-al; OS-culum, a large aperture in a sponge through which water is expelled; OS-CUL-ate, to kiss; OS-CUL-ar, relating to kissing (or to an osculum)

PALLI-

  • ‘mantle’, ‘covering’ (pallium)
  • PALLI-um, (in zoology) the mantle of a mollusc or brachiopod, (in anatomy) the outer wall of the mammalian cerebrum, corresponding to the cerebral cortex; PALLI-ate, to make (a disease or its symptoms) less severe without removing the cause; PALLI-at-ive, relieving pain without dealing with the cause of the condition

PRON-

  • ‘inclined’, ‘face-down’ (pronus)
  • prone, lying flat, especially face downwards; PRON-ator, a muscle whose contraction produces or assists in the pronation of a limb or part of a limb.

SAC(C)-

  • ‘bag’, ‘sac’ (saccus)
  • SACC-ate, dilated to form a sac; SACC-ule (SACC-ulus), a small sac, pouch, or cyst

SIN(U)-

  • ‘curve’, ‘hollow’, ‘cavity’ (sinus)
  • in-SINU-ate, suggest or hint in an indirect and unpleasant way; SINUS, a cavity within a bone or other tissue, especially one in the bones of the face or skull connecting with the nasal cavities; SINU-ate, having a wavy or sinuous margin; with alternate rounded notches and lobes; SINU-ous, having many curves and turns; SINUS-oid, a small irregularly shaped blood vessel found in certain organs, especially the liver

STA-, STAT-

  • ‘to stand’
  • circumstance; distant; extant; instant; status; substance; STA-ble, not liable to undergo chemical decomposition, radioactive decay, or other physical change; STA-bile, stationary; DI-ST-al, situated away from the centre of the body or from the point of attachment

VITR-

  • ‘glass’ (vitrum)
  • VITR-eous, like glass in appearance; VITR-esc-ent, capable of or susceptible to being turned into glass; VITR-eous HUM-our, the transparent jelly-like tissue filling the eyeball behind the lens (cf. aqueous humour); VITR-ectomy, the surgical operation of removing the vitreous humour from the eyeball

Roots, Part III

CALC-, CALCANE-

  • ‘heel’ (calx; calcaneus)
  • CALC-aneus (pl. calcanei), the large bone forming the heel; CALC-aneal, pertaining to the heel bone; CALC-aneo-CAVUS, a type of talipes (a deformity of the foot)

CERVIC-

  • ‘neck’ (cervix)
  • CERVIC-al, relating to the narrow neck-like passage forming the lower end of the womb (or simply relating to the neck); CERVIC-itis, inflammation of the neck of the womb; CERVICO-BRACHI-ALG-ia, condition in which pain extends from the cervical region to arms or fingers

CORP-, CORPUS-, CORPOR-

  • ‘body’ (corpus)
  • CORPOR-al; in-CORPOR-al; CORPS; in-CORPOR-ate; CORPUS-cle, a minute body or cell in an organism, especially a red or white cell in the blood of vertebrates

COX-

  • ‘hip’, ‘hip joint’ (coxa)
  • COXA, (in anatomy) the hip bone or hip joint; (in entomology) the first or basal segment of the leg of an insect); COX-ALG-ia, pain in the hip joint; EPI-COX-ite, a small process at the end of the toothed part of the coxa in insects

FIBUL-

  • ‘clasp’, ‘brooch’ ‘outer bone of the leg’ (fibula)
  • FIBULA (pl. fibulae), the outer and usually smaller of the two bones between the knee and the ankle; in-FIBUL-ation, the controversial practice of excising the clitoris and labia of a girl or woman and stitching together the edges of the vulva to prevent sexual intercourse; para-FIBUL-ar, pertaining to an accessory element outside the fibula

FREN-

  • ‘rein’, ‘bridle’ (frenum)
  • FREN-ulum or FREN-um, (in anatomy) a small fold or ridge of tissue which supports or checks the motion of the part to which it is attached, in particular a fold of skin beneath the tongue, or between the lip and the gum; (in entomology, applying to some moths and butterflies) a bristle or row of bristles on the edge of the hindwing which keeps it in contact with the forewing; FREN-ate, having a frenulum
  • NB: ‘frenzy’, ‘frenetic’ are from Greek PHREN-.

FURC-

  • ‘fork’ (furca)
  • FURC-ate; TRI-FURC-ate, to divide into three branches or forks; furca (pl. furcae, an ingrowth of the thorax of many insects; FURC-ula, the wishbone of a bird.

FUS-

  • ‘spindle’ (fusus)
  • FUSE-LAGE; FUS-illi, spindle-shaped pasta; FUS-arium, a mould of a large genus which includes a number that cause plant diseases, especially wilting; FUS-ee, a conical pulley or wheel, especially in a watch or clock
  • NB: Not to be confused with FUND-, FUS- (pour, melt), as in ‘fusion’, ‘fuse’.

FUSC-

  • ‘dark’, ‘brown’, ‘tawny’ (fuscus)
  • ob-FUSC-ate, make obscure, unclear, or unintelligible; FUSC-ous, dark and sombre in colour; FUSC-in, a brown pigment in the retinal epithelium

GEMM-

  • ‘bud’ (gemma)
  • GEM; GEMMA, a small cellular body or bud that can separate to form a new organism; GEMM-ation, asexual reproduction by the production of gemmae; budding; GEMM-ule, a tough-coated dormant cluster of embryonic cells produced by a freshwater sponge for development in more favourable conditions

GEN(U)-

  • ‘knee’ (genu)
  • GENU-ine (with reference to the Roman custom of a father acknowledging paternity of a newborn child by placing it on his knee); GENU-FLECT; GENU, the knee; (in Anatomy and Biology) a part of certain structures resembling a knee, in particular a bend in the corpus callosum of mammals; GENI-cul-ate, bent at a sharp angle

GERM-, GERMIN-

  • ‘sprout’, ‘bud’, ‘germ’ (germen)
  • GERM; GERM-ane; GERMIN-ate; GERM-icide, an agent that kills germs; GERMI-DUCT, the obiduct of a trematode (a parasitic flatworm)

MAL(E)-

  • ‘bad’ (malus)
  • MALE-FACT-or; MALE-VOL-ent; MAL-FEAS-ance; MALE-DICT-ion; MAL-IGN; MAL-IGN-ant; MAL-PRACT-ice; MAL-ING-er, to pretend to be ill in order to escape duty or work; MAL-OCCLUS-ion, imperfect positioning of the teeth when the jaws are closed

NAR-

  • ‘nostril’ (naris)
  • NARES, the nostrils; NARI-CORN, the horny part of the nostrils in Turbinares; NARI-form, shaped like nostrils

PAPILL-

  • ‘nipple’ (papilla)
  • PAPILLA, a small rounded protuberance on a part or organ of the body; PAPILL-oma (pl. papillomas or papillomata), a small wart-like growth on the skin or on a mucous membrane, derived from the epidermis and usually benign

PECTIN-

  • ‘comb’ (pecten)
  • PECTEN (pl. pectens or pectines), any of a number of comb-like structures occurring in animal bodies; PECTIN-ella, a comb-like membranella of some infusoria

PINN-, PENN-

  • ‘feather’, ‘wing’, ‘fin’ (pinna; penna)
  • pen; pinnacle; PINNA (in anatomy and zoology) the external part of the ear in humans and other mammals; the auricle; (in botany) a primary division of a pinnate leaf, especially of a fern; (in zoology) any of a number of animal structures resembling fins or wings; BI-PENN-iform, feather-shaped, with sides of a vein of equal size; PINN-ule, a secondary division of a pinnate leaf, especially of a fern; (in zoology) a part or organ like a small wing or fin, especially a side branch on the arm of a crinoid

PULMO(N)-

  • ‘lung’ (pulmo)
  • PULMON-ary or PULMON-ic, relating to the lungs; GASTO-PULMON-ary, pertaining to the stomach and the lungs

RAD-, RAS-, RAZ-

  • ‘to scrape’
  • RAZE; RAZ-or; e-RAS-er; RAD-ula, (in a mollusc) a rasp-like structure of tiny teeth used for scraping food particles off a surface and drawing them into the mouth; RAST-er, a rectangular pattern of parallel scanning lines followed by the electron beam on a television screen or computer monitor

VAGIN-

  • ‘sheath’ (vagina)
  • VAGINA, any sheath-like structure, especially a sheath formed round a stem by the base of a leaf; e-VAGIN-ate, (with reference to a tubular or pouch-shaped organ or structure) to turn or be turned inside out